Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shocked fans with a cliffhanger ending to its first season that saw the Enterprise's Number One, Una Chin-Riley, arrested by Starfleet Command. Exposed for lying about her Illyrian heritage and her culture’s genetic augmentations illegal in Federation space, Chin-Riley's fate rests in the hands of her estranged childhood friend Neera Ketoul. Played by guest star Yetide Badaki, Neera has no love for the Federation but must face them head-on if she stands any chance of clearing Chin-Riley's serious legal charges in a harrowing courtroom case.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Strange New Worlds guest star Yetide Badaki reveals her own lifelong love of the Star Trek franchise, talks about forming her close on-screen rapport with Rebecca Romijn and details how she brought Star Trek's calculating legal expert to life as Strange New Worlds Season 2 continues.
CBR: What was your gateway into the franchise?
Yetide Badaki: The gateway was Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a child in Nigeria, that was the show that brought me into the world. My first two crushes were Data and Picard, it was that deep of a love for me. Once I was in, I never looked back. I love everything Star Trek. Every time there's a new iteration, I'm there. [Laughs] What was wonderful is that I got to be introduced through The Next Generation, and it's very much like Doctor Who. Whichever Doctor you come in on is usually your favorite, but there is a deep and abiding love for all Star Trek. I got the chance to go back and look at The Original Series and there was much to build upon, even including that opening spiel, which saw change over the years.
Like Data and Picard, Neera is very confident and commanding, but you also get the feeling there is a lot going on under the surface with her. How did you want to approach your performance?
I stole liberally from performances across time, and a lot of them were Star Trek-related. You talk about not knowing what's going on behind and Guinan was a great reference for me because Guinan always had that cool, calm and collected knowing look, but you knew that there was so much going on there, but it’s hard to penetrate. What actually goes on in the episode, by the end, you see the armor off where she [says], "Hey friend." She's a little more relaxed, she's done with the battle, but when you first meet her, and she goes into the courtroom, she always has that [thing of] not giving anything away.
With Picard and his impassioned speeches, those speeches that I grew up loving, I was so geeked out that I was able to do some of these, with all that passion and all that conviction. That definitely came from Picard. Other influences I was speaking about, especially in the courtroom, was the diction of Sisko, using those consonants to drive the point through. I got that from Sisko.
Other references from outside [Star Trek], there was definitely some Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder. I was thinking of if you had How to Get Away with Murder in space -- [come on], Star Trek, that's the show! [Laughs] That kind of presence, I admit, I stole a lot from that character, and joyfully so. There were some real-life references, like my brother is a lawyer. I was under NDA with this, but I called him when I got this [role] and was like, "I can't tell you what it is, but I’m going to be playing a lawyer. Do you have any pointers?"
There were several things he said and, first, I used him as a reference, for sure. He said that a lot of great lawyers understand the performance of it all in that space. Neera took them on a journey, performance-wise. This was a great point from the [episode] writer Dana Horgan – because she needed them to exercise their judgment and make this decision, but she needed to take them on this emotional journey, so that they could make the decision that we hoped for. There was all that there. [My brother] also said to look at Ben Crump, and I did. [laughs] Ben Crump is a present-day civil rights lawyer and all of these elements are woven into the tapestry that is Neera.
One of my favorite moments in the episode is when Neera squares up with Admiral Robert April on the stand. It’s staged like an action sequence between you and Adrian Holmes and just feels like a huge combative moment.
It's a huge combative moment, and thank goodness for him. He's an incredible actor, for making it such a joy to be able to do. I got sent a screener for this, because I hadn't gotten a chance to see it until very recently, and I was back home for my father's 70th birthday celebration. I was in a room watching it and my dad walks by and hears my voice and goes “Is that you? Hold on a second, let me watch this!” So we sat down and watched it together. He loved it and said, "This is fantastic! It reminds me of A Few Good Men."
This is one of those moments, the square-off, and the scene is very combative, but she had to get that thing out of him. You see Neera go back in her speech, saying, "All good captains and all good leaders use their discretion." She refers back to April as a good leader, but she needed him to get to that pitch. He's a fantastic actor, and we had this wonderful director, Valerie Weiss.
The entire crew is just brilliant, I can’t sing their praises enough. We had to do it several times and get into each other's faces, which is really hard because we like each other. It was a joy to film. That kind of energy and play is something you always hope to have as an actor. To have the ability to work with an actor of that caliber and bring it to that point is a gift.
The one person who knows Neera outside of her legal facade is Una Chin-Riley. How was it working with Rebecca Romijn to build that shared backstory between your characters?
In talking about singing praises, let's give Rebecca her flowers. First off, it's kind of surreal because I grew up watching Rebecca in so many wonderful things. I have to attest this to Valerie, that she made sure we met before we got on set. We went out to dinner and shared stories. I remember Rebecca telling me how her mom introduced her to Star Trek and I talked about my family watching it in Nigeria together. There was a rapport that was built there.
Being able to go deeper and build a rapport there and talk about the things that aren’t on paper, one example was talking about them having sleepovers. They would lay on their backs, look at the stars and dream together. I think you saw all of those moments come together with looks when they’re conversing. It so enriched the relationship, it was three-dimensional and not something that you came out from any one side. It was quite a bit of fun to do, so much so that, at the end, we exchanged gifts. She sent me these comfy slippers with stars on them and a little note that said, "Ad Astra Per Aspera."
I love what Bernadette Croft does with costuming, especially Neera’s courtroom outfit with the power shoulders. How was it finding your performance in the various costumes that Neera wears in this episode?
[Firstly], can we talk about Bernadette Croft, this incredible costumer? I personally think every one of those outfits deserve to be on the cover of Vogue, and maybe they should be! [Laughs] It was very much intentional, everything was so detailed and thought-through. As an actor, it's a joy to have those elements thought-through from very early on. I should add, when we first met, and she first did her measurements, I was actually being measured in Seville in Spain over Zoom while she was in Toronto, and then she came up with these [costumes]. That just speaks to her incredible talent.
That also speaks to Scotia Boyd, who did my makeup. Everything with those nails, if you look at them, they're very angled and pointed, like those power shoulders. This is warfare! This is loving and kind warfare. [Laughs] With the hair, it's angled, reinforcing that strength. It’s such a joy as an actor to be able to step into all these things and say, "There's Neera!"
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.