Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Celia Rose Gooding wasn’t told she was auditioning for Uhura

With the premiere of May 5 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds At Paramount+, Celia Rose Gooding, who plays young Uhura (played by Nichols Nichols), made her television debut. But Westchester, 22, a New York-born actor and singer, is far from a rookie who started out on Broadway as Frank in a hit musical. small irregular pillThe play that earned him a Tony nomination.

Already updated for a second season, strange new worlds is the predecessor Star Trek: The Original SeriesBut for Gooding, television is a new frontier: the next step toward his EGOT goal (he’s a quarter of the way there, the 2021 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album is already up the chimney). New to your review ᲕThe way of the stars Series, THRDaniel Feinberg said, “Kindness is just general pleasure, fun and emotionally accessible, respect for the original Nichel Nichols and Uhura for becoming yourself.” Gooding spoke about the “shocking” challenge to Uhura’s cult role and the invaluable guidance she received from her Tony Award-winning mother Lachanze.

What does Broadway mean to you?

Broadway has been a paradise for me since childhood. The opportunity to leave my issues behind the scenes and move into a completely different world was everything to me, especially as a young black man raised primarily in a white institution. Of course, growing up, I realized that whatever I was trying to escape was inevitable, but live theater was still an escape for me.

When you heard about the role of Uhura, what attracted you to the character?

Actually, a curiosity: I didn’t know I was going to play the listeners in the role of Uhura until I booked. The cast came out in a very interesting way and I think I got a few laughs because I auditioned under a pseudonym. But I really liked his character description: he was described as an impressive young prodigy who decides if he is where he is, if he is where he should be right now. And as a person who is very young in this industry and still realizes what my obvious goal and dream is in this life, I have found that their many stories and mindset reflect me in another industry.

You started on Broadway: theater and musicals are really your experience. What was it like to move from this world to the world of television? Did anything surprise or bother you during this transition?

In the theater context, most of my essays are much more complete. It’s much more physical, unlike TV and film, which is much more cerebral and in my head. The main difference between theater and cinema is that with theater you can actually see everything that happens on stage at the same time, whereas cinema is what the editors decide to share with you, and everything is beyond the rest of the movie. Spectator perception.

What is it like to play a role that the audience already knows?

It is a great honor to know the future of Uhura and how her story ends. But we haven’t learned much about its launch into Starfleet and even during its time. the original series We didn’t really recognize Uhura as a person. We knew her as a communications officer, someone who worked on a ship, but we don’t really know how she got there and who she was until she became this confident, brilliant, elegant woman.

Joining something that is already well established in the face of the launch of a new musical and its origins? I was incredibly impressed at first because it’s terrifying to know that you’re taking on a role that already means so much to so many people. The social and political aspects of this character and what it means to be a young black man in the 1960s playing a role on screen is incredibly exhausting and absolutely necessary to know. And during the first season, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to assess who this character is and who he will be in the end. But then I had to remind myself that I’m not here yet. I had to remind myself that I shouldn’t go into this character with all the knowledge about his future because this character still doesn’t have any knowledge about his future. I found that his work would blend in with aspects of himself as that character ages and as the season progresses, rather than appearing as the carbon copy of the character we see. the original series.

What was it like to win a Grammy? small irregular pill change for you?

I am a person who undoubtedly has big dreams. Of course, I express myself like a madman. I have a vision, a dream and a goal for myself and my future and I want to be an EGOT at some point. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon! I felt unreal; At first I never considered myself a vocalist; I’ve always considered myself an actor who has a voice and can sing if asked. So for my first big win being a Grammy, life is wild.

Your mother is a Tony Award winner [best actress in a leading role in a musical in 2006 for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple]. What is the best advice your mother gave you?

Having someone who is already as loved and respected in the industry as your mother is a gift. Honestly it’s a blessing because there are some things I couldn’t have imagined and I have one person in my life that I trust to sincerely believe in what I hope for. I think his biggest piece of advice, which I mention every day, is, “Don’t go too deep.”

What do you miss about New York when you shoot somewhere else, like Toronto?

I miss the spontaneity of Manhattan. Almost everything I need is just a few blocks away. I miss the city even when I’m at home in Westchester, so it’s really hard to be so far away for months on end. In Toronto everything closes very early compared to New York State and the pizza is not so good. I miss my friends and my community. I was the one who created the village, so getting away from them takes some getting used to.

How has the New York environment shaped you as a person and as a performer?

Something in the city drives him to want more work. It’s inspiring to know that everyone around you is trying to make their dreams come true. Working in the city really shaped me into the person I am today. It made me stronger, but also more empathetic. So many people from different strata are grouped together on one island. I often think of the train: “Everyone around me has a full life here, just as difficult and layered as mine. I know I will probably never see these people, but we are all on this journey together. 👉Wonderful.

The interview is edited for length and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in the May 17 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. Click here to subscribe.