Paul Giamatti Gets His Dream Role as a Klingon in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Paul Giamatti has learned that sometimes, saying what you want out loud actually works.

For years, the two-time Oscar nominee openly talked about his love for Star Trek and his dream of playing a Klingon. To his surprise, that dream has now come true. Giamatti appears as Nus Braka, a half-Klingon pirate, in the new Paramount+ series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, where he serves as a recurring antagonist to Holly Hunter’s character, Chancellor Nahla Ake, and a group of inexperienced Starfleet cadets.

“I didn’t actually think I’d ever get a call,” Giamatti tells PEOPLE. “I made no secret about loving the show, but I never believed it would really happen. It’s a top experience for me. I still can’t quite believe I got to do it.”

Despite a career filled with acclaimed performances in films like Sideways, 12 Years a Slave, and The Holdovers, along with prestige TV projects such as Billions and John Adams, Giamatti says Star Trek holds equal importance to him.

“I don’t see it as higher or lower culture,” he explains. “It’s smart, well-written, and full of great stories. That’s all that matters.”

Giamatti’s love for Star Trek began in childhood. His father, A. Bartlett Giamatti, was a fan of the original series during its late-1960s run and later shared reruns with his son in the 1970s. Those early viewings left a lasting impression, especially when it came to Leonard Nimoy’s iconic portrayal of Spock.

“I was really taken with Spock,” Giamatti recalls. “I became kind of obsessed with him as a kid.”

While that early fascination might suggest a Vulcan role, Giamatti says his temperament made Klingons a better fit. Known for their passion and fierce sense of honor, Klingons felt more natural for his performance style.

“I probably realized even as a kid that I couldn’t pull off a Vulcan,” he jokes. “As I got older, Klingons became much more interesting to me.”

Playing Nus Braka also allowed Giamatti to lean into a more openly villainous role than he usually takes on.

“I don’t play a lot of capital-B Bad Guys,” he says. “I usually play complicated, unpleasant people. This kind of role gives you license to be big and grand, and that’s fun.”

Among the many Star Trek series, Giamatti says Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is his favorite, praising its depth and performances. He singles out Armin Shimerman for his work as the Ferengi Quark.

“He’s buried under all that makeup, but what comes through is incredible,” Giamatti says.

His new character also brings an unusual twist: Nus Braka is half-Klingon and half-Tellarite, a rarely seen alien species dating back to the original series.

“When they told me I’d be half-Klingon, half-Tellarite, I said, ‘The pig guys?’” Giamatti laughs. “I remembered them from when I was a kid. Two aggressive species together? I thought, ‘Great, I can be super-aggressive.’”

While Giamatti tried to pass his Star Trek passion on to his son, Samuel, it didn’t quite stick.

“He appreciated it,” Giamatti says, “but he grew up more of a Star Wars kid.”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy streams every Thursday on Paramount+.