‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Casts Its Spock
Ethan Peck is about to boldly go where Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto have gone before.
A veteran TV actor, Peck, grandson of Gregory Peck, has been cast to play the iconic Starfleet officer Spock in season two of CBS All Access drama “Star Trek: Discovery.” Executive producer Alex Kurtzman confirmed at Comic-Con in July that Spock, one of the best-loved characters in the “Star Trek” franchise and in all of science fiction, would appear in season two of “Discovery.” Set to premiere in 2019, the new season, which takes place years before the original “Star Trek” television series, will feature an encounter between the USS Discovery and the USS Enterprise.
The child of a human mother and an alien father from the planet Vulcan, Spock serves aboard the Enterprise and is foster brother to Discovery’s second officer Michael Burnham.
Spock was created in the original “Star Trek” series by Nimoy, who also portrayed the character in eight feature films, “Star Trek: The Animated Series,” and in two episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Quinto has played the role in the franchise’s three most recent feature-film installments.
“Through 52 years of television and film, a parallel universe and a mirror universe, Mr. Spock remains the only member of the original bridge crew to span every era of Star Trek,” Kurtzman said. “The great Leonard Nimoy, then the brilliant Zachary Quinto, brought incomparable humanity to a character forever torn between logic and emotion. We searched for months for an actor who would, like them, bring his own interpretation to the role. An actor who would, like them, effortlessly embody Spock’s greatest qualities, beyond obvious logic: empathy, intuition, compassion, confusion, and yearning. Ethan Peck walked into the room inhabiting all of these qualities, aware of his daunting responsibility to Leonard, Zack, and the fans, and ready to confront the challenge in the service of protecting and expanding on Spock’s legacy. In that spirit, we’re thrilled to welcome him to the family.”
Peck’s TV credits include roles on “Madam Secretary,” “Gossip Girl,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “That ’70s Show.” He is represented by Imperium 7 talent agency.
Related: Alex Kurtzman Describes What Makes a Good “Spock”
Related stories
'Star Trek: Discovery' Gets Miniseries 'Short Treks'
'Star Trek: Discovery' Will Introduce Spock in Season 2
The Drama Over LGBTQ Actors in Emmy Drama Categories (Guest Column)
Subscribe to Variety Newsletters and Email Alerts!
