Holly Hunter embraced going barefoot as captain in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

According to People, Holly Hunter plays Nahla Ake in the new Paramount+ series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and said she loved that her character goes barefoot on duty — "I thought was really fantastic."

Hunter's Nahla Ake is chancellor of the relaunched Starfleet Academy and captain of the field-exercise starship Athena; the character is often shown curling up catlike in the captain’s chair and strolling around the ship without shoes. Hunter called the barefoot choice "the antithesis of what you should do," saying she wanted Ake to avoid rigidity and formality, to be adaptable, playful and approachable rather than militaristic. The role also appealed to Hunter because Ake, a half-Lathanite, is four centuries old and her name means "water in the desert," which Hunter said suggested playfulness, fluidity and a feline quality she could bring to the part.

Co-star Paul Giamatti praised Hunter’s unexpected choices for the character, saying he thought it was "genius" when Ake curled up in her chair, and Hunter said she enjoyed working with the young cadets and their fresh energy. Hunter also described the comforting, optimistic moral universe of Star Trek as a reason the franchise endures; Star Trek: Starfleet Academy airs Thursdays on Paramount+.

Key Topics

Culture, Holly Hunter, Nahla Ake, Starfleet Academy, Paramount+, Paul Giamatti