Star Trek Social Club

Not really a question, more of an observation: timezones exist 😛

How many tribbles do you think you could take in a fight?

Thanks for the AMA!

How did you find the Fediverse? Have you found it enjoyable?

Hey bud! I just wanted to say I really appreciate your show. I’m a middle age guy who grew up on TNG/DS9 and this show really captures the soul of Star Trek. Keep up the great work!!

As for a question, were you a Trek fan before? If so, how’s that incorporated into your performance, if at all. And if you weren’t a fan before, are you now, and how does no prior exposure to Star Trek inform your performance?

Thanks!!

What’s the Klingon food like on-set, for scenes where you have to actually eat it? Do they try and make it taste good, or is it as gross as it looks?

Hi Karim, big fan of your work in Academy! Jay-Den's backstory is already an all time great Trek episode.

My hard hitting question is personal: Coffee or tea? More generally, favorite drink?

Hi Karim, no question I just wanted to say that your performance in episode 4 honestly made it some of the best Star Trek I've ever seen.

Do the prosthetics make it much more difficult to act in, or does it actually help you get into the role?

Hi Karim! Great job playing Jay-Den!

If you were a cadet at Starfleet Academy, which electives would you pick?

Hi Karim! It's so cool that you're doing an AMA on the Fediverse!

Anyway, Jay-den is one of my favorite characters of the post-2017 era of Trek. Jay-den is clearly not like most Klingons, but he still feels like a true Klingon. How did you prepare for the role in taking such a unique character who doesn't fit the "stereotype" (for lack of a better word) of a Klingon while still making him feel like a "real" Klingon to the audience?

Have never watched anything Star Trek before, but might give it a try because of this. 👍

Thanks for the AMA!

I love you in academy!! 😍 My question is how horny are your dms and if they have gotten hornier or less horny since you put on the forehead?

Hi Karim! really loving SFA, and Jay-Den is definitely an awesome character, the Trek world needs more Klingon scientists!!

Jay-Den's voice is really great 🔥 fit for a warrior.

What's your favorite Klingon phrase?!

Hi and so happy to have you!

I love that you're playing - I don't know if I'm interpreting it right, but among all aspects of Jay-Den, I think, at least - a non-neurotypical Klingon. I'd love to hear your perspective on how you go about playing him not just as neurodiverse, but specifically as a neurodiverse Klingon!

Stealing from Colbert, what is the best sandwich? Both for you and for your character?

What was the audition process like? Did you have any clue what you were auditioning for, or was it buried under 47 layers of secrecy?

When you were a 1 year-old, Katee Sackhoff was a 21 year old actress just starting out as Starbuck on the Battlestar Galactica remake. I see a lot of parallels with the cast of BSG in the early 2000s and the Star Trek: Academy "kids" in 2026.

On her YouTube channel she just recently started watching that BSG series for the first time. It's really interesting to see how she talks about her life in her 20s, looking back as an actress now in her 40s. She doesn't seem to have big regrets, but you definitely get the impression she'd like to send some messages back to the younger Katee. Have you and the rest of the cast found mentors found mentors who can help you with your careers and performances?

Star Trek is unique in that there have been almost continuous shows and movies on since the 1980s. So, there are dozens of actors at various stages in their careers who might be able to offer perspectives. For you, I wonder if Michael Dorn would be someone you'd reach out to. Not only is he obviously a fellow klingon, but he also started out as a musician before going into acting. There's also Wil Wheaton, who seems like he was really grateful to have been "adopted" by the TNG cast, and is the kind of guy who would pay that kindness forward.

Hello Karim,

Fantastic that you’re the providing the first Trek cast member AMA in the fediverse! Incredible way to get into the franchise.

I hope this will be a good experience on your side and that you might consider having your own account on Mastodon or Pixelfed.

A few questions please…🖖🏼

— In your study of previous Klingons in the franchise, have you considered B’Elanna Torres journey to accepting her Klingon heritage? Do you see some parallels in her discomfort with Klingon culture, its norms and expectations with Jay-Den’s search for a path to his own identity while still respecting his culture of origin?

— Was there a specific moment, in your preparation process for the role, when it suddenly came together for you and you knew who you need to be as Jay-Den? Could you share when that was?

— What other languages, if any, do you speak beyond English? If you are bilingual or multilingual, do you find that helps with the Klingon dialogue and phrases?

— How are you finding Toronto and the surrounding area? Have you got out much around the region? Other than what appears to be the Escarpment in S1E4, have you been out on location shoots?

Hello Karim, I am a Trekkie that hasn't seen Starfleet Academy, but because you're here, now I will watch it

Hey! I think your acting is one of the best parts of the show. Thank you for sharing your talent!

Starfleet academy has been rather divisive with fans and Star Trek fans as a whole have been known to be rather vocal.

Have you been paying attention to any of the comments made about the show (positive or negative) and has any of this effected your mental health (positive or negative)?

Also wanted to add that I'm personally loving the show and Jay-Den has been a standout character for me.

How it feels to have all the Klingon makeup?

Hey Karim, I'm really enjoying Academy so far! Coming of age stories are part and parcel of the franchise since Wesley/Wil Wheaton, and I'm wondering: what's your favourite coming of age story/film/show/game?

(The Breakfast Club is a very valid answer btw)

Much has been made about the expansive Starfleet Academy set, but have you done much location work so far? Are there any interesting places you can mention?

Hi Karim. I'd like to know how long the casting process took. Best regards from mid Europe.

Karim, your work as Jay-Den Kraag is so well done, you're definitely our favorite actor of the series! You do a better job portraying sometime caught between worlds than any other actor I've seen. Was it challenging to depict such a character?

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions!

First growing up, were you a fan of Star Trek? Second, now that you’re part of it, what has it been like to join such a large and long-lasting franchise?

Hello Karim, what are you most recommended/most stay-away-from-this experiences in Toronto (and area) so far?

Do the writers and directors give you a lot of input into how to play your character and the direction of his story/development?

If it were up to you, what kind of scenes or storylines would you most like to play or see Jay-Den Kraag in?

What’s it been like to work with actors like HH & PG? Learned anything from them?

You guys ever have to stop the set because you gotta go to the restroom?

I was recently on a hike with a group and just held it in uncomfortably throughout the entire time lol

The voice, real or CG? If CG why did they feel they needed to make the characters voice so deep compared to the other klingons? It's a bit jarring listening, especially the debate episode.

Just want to say: While I'm not a huge fan of the highschool drama part of the show, I love all the characters so far <3 You're all doing a great job!

What was your top reference going into acting in Star Trek? What personal twists you added to that?

Have you been privy to any of the discussions about what it means for the show to be set a thousand years later than most of the franchise, like where it makes sense for a previous entry to guide the interpretation, and where it maybe makes as much or more sense to let things go a little crazy. The interplay probably has to drift more toward storytelling realities within the brand than it does gaming-out what would "really" happen over a millennium of Star Trek time.

Honestly, when I think about it, the post-Burn era seems downright conservative in terms of societal change, certainly at least within Starfleet. That's obviously necessary for it to be recognizable as a property, but it's kind of funny to think that it's as static as it seems, like closer to the difference between 426 and 1426 than between 1026 and 2026 CE, and I'm probably understating how different the first two were.

What's your take on the current discourse surrounding your show? I haven't watched it yet but "the Internet" has been right about precisely 1 singular show they were hating on, so it's already got a glowing recommendation.

Love the show, but not a fan of "The Burn" or the sort of dystopia it creates, did you grow up watching Trek? Is the show what you expected?