Karim Diané On Playing First Full-Blooded Klingon Main Character Since Worf In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

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Karim Diané brings a fresh take to the role of a Klingon in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The first two episodes of the series, which has earned a ‘Certified Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, launched on Paramount+ and were well-received by Star Trek enthusiasts.

Karim Diané stars as Jay-Den Kraag, the first Klingon main character in a Star Trek series since Michael Dorn’s portrayal of Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and season 3 of Star Trek: Picard. Notably, Jay-Den is an unusual Klingon – he’s attending Starfleet Academy to become a doctor.

Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with Karim Diané and his co-stars, Zoë Steiner and Bella Shepard, at a press event for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Diané shared his excitement about finally meeting Michael Dorn and praised how Jay-Den Kraag offers a fresh take on the Klingon race. Here’s what Karim had to say:

Liam Crowley asked if I’d contacted Michael Dern about potentially playing a Klingon. He also wanted to know what specifically made my take on the character different from previous Klingon portrayals.

Oh my gosh, I recently met Michael Dorn – you know, Worf from Star Trek – and it was amazing! We instantly connected because, well, we’re the only two main Star Trek characters who spent years playing Klingons. We totally get each other’s experience with all that makeup! I’m a huge fan of his work, I’ve watched every Worf episode multiple times, and I really studied his performance when I was preparing for my role. It was such a cool experience to finally meet him and talk about it all.

I think both I and the fans I’ve connected with online have inspired me to really make this character my own. It’s been great to put a fresh take on things. Jay-Den is truly one-of-a-kind – we haven’t seen a Klingon quite like him before, and I absolutely love playing him.

Watch ScreenRant’s interview with Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s cast below:

Karim Diané and Tig Notaro celebrated the New Year by representing Star Trek: Starfleet Academy in the Rose Parade. They were joined on the Star Trek float by George Takei and Rebecca Romijn. A highlight of the day for Diané was meeting Michael Dorn, the original Klingon, for a special encounter.

A recent post on Star Trek‘s social media detailed the complex work Karim Diané did to transform into a Klingon. He received guidance not only from Michael Dorn, but also from Doug Jones, who famously played Saru in Star Trek: Discovery, on the challenges of performing in heavy prosthetic makeup.

Jay-Den Kraag wants to become a Starfleet doctor, which makes sense even considering his Klingon heritage. Klingons are known as fierce warriors, but every culture needs people dedicated to healing, as well as the scientists and engineers who create their technology – like the iconic Klingon Bird-of-Prey and D-7 ships.

As a longtime Trek fan, I’m really excited to see the Klingons back! It’s been a while since we’ve seen them properly, especially after the redesign in Star Trek: Discovery that a lot of fans didn’t love. Thankfully, Jay-Den Kraag seems to be bringing back their classic look, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is promising to show us what the Klingon Empire is up to in the 32nd century, which is a huge draw for me.

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2026-01-19 03:08