Holly Hunter Reveals the Unexpected Challenge of Her New 'Star Trek' Role Nicole MooreJanuary 31, 2026 at 11:43 PM 0 Photo by Stephanie Augello/THR/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images Actress Holly Hunterhas been donning a Starfleet uniform for her newest role as Nahla Ake in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premiered in January 2026. Hunter spoke about playing the Starfleet Academy chancellor, who happens to have quite a long lifespan due to being halfLanthanite, during a January 30 interview onThe Kelly Clarkson Show, hosted by Kelly Clarkson.
- - Holly Hunter Reveals the Unexpected Challenge of Her New 'Star Trek' Role
Nicole MooreJanuary 31, 2026 at 11:43 PM
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Photo by Stephanie Augello/THR/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
Actress Holly Hunterhas been donning a Starfleet uniform for her newest role as Nahla Ake in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premiered in January 2026.
Hunter spoke about playing the Starfleet Academy chancellor, who happens to have quite a long lifespan due to being half-Lanthanite, during a January 30 interview onThe Kelly Clarkson Show, hosted by Kelly Clarkson. During the interview, Hunter told Clarkson that she remembered watching some of Star Trek: The Original Series when it first aired in the 1960s. She said, however, that she wasn't a fan of the science fiction franchise before being cast as Nahla. The actress explained that her lack of Star Trek knowledge made learning the franchise's terminology challenging.
"It's like, 'How do I pronounce this?' These are words that I've never heard of before. Some of them are definitely made up. Some of them are in the Trek, you know, terminology. And I'm not a Trekkie, so a lot of them I didn't know," explained Hunter on the talk show.
She clarified that she was eventually able to get used to the dialogue.
"I had to really verse myself in that language. Just real repetition. And then it was just so much fun," said Hunter during the January 30 interview.
Hunter also said that while her character is the head of Starfleet Academy, she views herself as an equal to her co-stars, even if they are playing academy students. She explained that while she has been in the entertainment industry longer than her younger castmates, they are still all learning from each other.
"Even though they're much younger than I am, I didn't care. they're my fellow actors. They are my coworkers," said Hunter in the interview. "We are cohorts, we are shoulder to shoulder. I didn't wanna take an advisory position, or a punitive. None of that. I'm learning alongside these young actors. And they're teaching me stuff, so it was a beautiful collaboration."
New episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy air on Thursdays on Paramount+.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: January 31, 2026 at 04:36PM on Source: OPERA MAG
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