Strange New Worlds Kirk & Spock Actors Praise Each Other Playing Iconic Roles

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley highlight how each other plays the iconic James T. Kirk and Spock.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actors Ethan Peck and Paul Wesley praise each other's performance as Lt. Spock and Lt. James T. Kirk, respectively. Wesley joins Strange New Worlds season 2 in a recurring role as Kirk, who is still years away from becoming the Captain of the USS Enterprise played by William Shatner. Meanwhile, Peck has found fascinating new layers as the younger Spock, who is still defining his Vulcan and human sides in Strange New Worlds.

At the press junket for Strange New Worlds season 2, Screen Rant took part in a roundtable interview with Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck. We asked the actors to talk about how each other played their iconic roles. Read their responses below:

Screen Rant: Ethan, can you tell us something that you liked about how Paul played Kirk? And Paul, can you say something that you liked about how Ethan played Spock?

Paul Wesley: Nothing.

Ethan Peck: (laughs) Paul, as the actor approaching the role, he was so careful, and really took it very seriously. And he was very measured in his approach, which I really love to see. Because I think all of us in the show, really, accept the burden of these iconic characters and are excited about it. And he showed up to the party with much the same approach and strategy. And then in terms of his embodiment of Kirk, I think he just brings so much charm and magnetism. He's devilish. And I love being on the other side of the camera from him when we're doing these scenes.

Paul Wesley: Ethan, I’ll Venmo you, man. How much do you want? Um, thanks, man. That's very kind of you. I echo everything that Ethan just said. I think it's extremely difficult to play Spock. I can't even imagine. He does such a wonderful job of paying homage to those mannerisms, the cadence, the voice. I think the stoicism with little hints of humanity and vulnerability that he's so desperately trying to find is so well portrayed. Ethan's version of Spock, I'm quite in awe of it, actually.

Lt. Kirk coming aboard the Starship Enterprise in Strange New Worlds season 2 sets up the canonical first meeting between Kirk and Spock in Star Trek's Prime Universe. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie showed Cadet James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) meeting Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) at Starfleet Academy, but they portrayed alternate universe versions from the Kelvin Timeline. Another alternate universe Captain Kirk met Mr. Spock in Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale, but the true first meeting between the future best friends hasn't been depicted in canon yet... until Strange New Worlds season 2, which will also show Kirk's first meeting with Cadet Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding).

Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck's praise of each other's performances conveys the relationship between Kirk and Spock in Strange New Worlds season 2. Happily, the actors share the playful repartee between Kirk and Spock in real life. The camaraderie between Wesley and Peck bodes well for how their younger versions of James T. Kirk and Spock will ultimately gel in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, as they both start the build to become the heroes William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy played in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 premieres Thursday, June 15, on Paramount+.

John Orquiola is Screen Rant's Star Trek Beat Editor, Senior Features staff writer, and interviewer.