The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," now streaming on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds provided a fresh twist on the franchise's iconic character James T. Kirk in its alternate timeline Season 1 finale. Another timeline version of Kirk, again played by Paul Wesley, surfaces in Strange New Worlds Season 2, this time on a time-travel adventure for Chief Security Officer La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) to prevent a catastrophe in 21st-century Toronto. As Noonien-Singh and Kirk grow closer, La'an discovers this mission hits especially close to home for her, placing her on a collision course with the most infamous figure from her family's problematic history.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Strange New Worlds stars Christina Chong and Paul Wesley revealed how they formed their on-screen chemistry, shared how the season gives Wesley a fresh take on Kirk, and explained how Noonien-Singh's fateful meeting informs her personal journey.
CBR: I love that you challenge each other as your characters play off of each other. Do you remember meeting on set and forming that rapport?
Christina Chong: When did we meet? [laughs]
Paul Wesley: I remember first meeting you. I asked if you wanted to grab a coffee or something at SoHo House, and you were weird. You told your acting coach, "I don't know if I want to meet him!"
Chong: Our acting coach!
Wesley: Our acting coach. We actually met Season 1 on set, briefly.
Chong: True! I remember, yeah! Was I about to do press or something, and I caught you in-scene? I was like, "Who is this Paul guy?" Everyone went, "Oh, Paul is great!" I was like, "I have not met him." And then I met him on set and was like, "He's alright." [laughs] We met for the second time properly, and my acting coach was like, "You should meet Paul" because Paul also works with her. She was like, "Could you meet Paul before you do your scene?" I was like, "Nah, I think we'll just do it on set." And she was like, "Well, do what you want, but I'd advise meeting him beforehand." And at the last minute, I was like, "Paul, do you want to go to dinner?"
Wesley: You were so grumpy!
Chong: Yeah, I couldn't wait to leave. We were talking about our dogs, and then I had to put up with him for a season.
Paul, thanks to alternate timelines, you get that rare second chance at a first impression. In playing this version of Kirk, what did you want to keep, and what did you want to change?
Wesley: There was a playfulness to Kirk in this alternate timeline when he's introduced in Season 2. I wanted to do that because Christina is great to work with and really funny. I was able to cut loose and have fun. It felt like I was on an adventure series. I remember when I read Episode 3, I just couldn't put it down. I was flipping the page and was just so excited. It's really fun to play with time travel. That's what's so cool about a sci-fi show. You get to create a new character or a new version of a character. I had a blast!
This season has La'an confront her own heart of darkness. How is it diving into these emotional aspects of the character?
Chong: I love it! I love all that drama. [laughs] That's been a big question for the fans, "What's her connection to Khan and all that?" To be able to have that romantic experience for her and not have to be so serious all the time was great for me personally, to play something different. But also to be faced with the younger version of Khan and to understand and be able to see that no one is inherently bad. It's what happens to us, what we've been through, and what we've experienced. For her to have that realization was a bit emotional for her. I had to go deep -- having the romance, losing the romance was art imitating life at that time romantically. It was actually cathartic! [laughs]
Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.