Unusual New Worlds Star Melissa Navia Discovered One Ortegas Scene All Too Relatable [Exclusive]

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Safety alert! This text accommodates spoilers for “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” season 3, episode 9. 

One of many largest challenges dealing with any science fiction or fantasy collection helps audiences droop their disbelief and really put money into the a number of the extra outrageous concepts offered. Fortunately, a bit bit of fine character writing and an earnest efficiency can go a good distance towards doing that, creating relatable characters in a completely unrelatable setting. On the Paramount+ collection “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds,” one character who fairly commonly feels relatable is helmsman Lieutenant Erica Ortegas, performed by Melissa Navia. The hotshot pilot and former soldier within the Klingon Wars has turn into a serious fan favourite, and for good purpose, however what helps Navia actually get into her character’s head? 

I had the possibility to speak with Navia by way of Zoom and requested her all about moving into Ortegas’ headspace within the season 3 episode “Terrarium,” because the character ended up stranded on a abandoned planet on the opposite aspect of a wormhole from the Enterprise, trapped with a downed Gorn pilot. Given the truth that the Gorn had beforehand captured Ortegas after which almost killed her throughout her escape, she has some severe baggage with the monstrous-seeming aliens that is performed out all through season 3. That half is admittedly sort of arduous to narrate to, however Navia identified a second earlier within the season, after the disrupted marriage ceremony in episode 2, the place we will actually see (and really feel) what Ortegas goes by. 

Within the fairly enjoyable and foolish “Wedding ceremony Bell Blues,” the crew of the Enterprise find yourself coping with the godlike alien Trelane (Rhys Darby) and virtually have a marriage between Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and Spock (Ethan Peck). Whereas the marriage will get known as off, the partying would not, and everybody has a superb time dancing to Wham!… apart from Ortegas, who smiles sadly and watches from the sidelines. She’s solely considerably lately recovered from her bodily wounds from the Gorn escape and the psychological ones are nonetheless therapeutic, as Navia defined:

“I like that scene as a result of it is so painful, and I might relate to Ortegas in that second. I do know lots of people can, the place it is like, one thing is happening with you the place you can’t rejoice. And he or she’s watching all her buddies and he or she’s so completely satisfied that they are having such a good time, however she simply can’t take part. And also you see her take off to go hit the punching bag, and what’s behind her is basically what she’s been dreaming of and he or she feels prefer it’s the factor that nearly took her out, and it did not, nevertheless it’s nonetheless haunting her.”

Whereas Navia has by no means handled being a Gorn captive, she tragically misplaced her accomplice Brian Bannon to acute leukemia between filming the primary and second seasons of “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds,” and he or she has famous that the loss and “Star Trek” are inextricably linked, binding her to Ortegas by trauma. She as soon as wrote that she and her character “at the moment are extra alike than I ever might have imagined – greater than I ever needed,” and you’ll see it in these small however very important moments. There’s actual vulnerability in Navia’s connection to her character, and it makes the efficiency that a lot stronger. However there’s extra to it than only a shared understanding of trauma, nonetheless, as a result of Navia additionally feels connections to Ortegas as a pilot.

Lt. Ortegas is not the primary time Navia has performed a pilot, having starred as Co-Pilot Eva Schafer on “New Amsterdam,” and he or she shared that she had all the time needed to attempt flying for herself, even taking an introductory flight round 15 years in the past to see if she needed to get her pilot’s license (she did, however could not afford it on a working actor’s funds). In attending to play Ortegas, nonetheless, she’s making a few of her pilot goals come true, and famous that she’s spoken to pilots at “Star Trek” conventions who “say that Ortegas will get it proper,” which is massively validating. What’s even higher, nonetheless, is how her character would possibly have an effect on the way forward for aviation as she investigates its previous:

“To see little children coming as much as me, [saying] that they wish to be pilots due to Ortegas, that has made me look into the historical past of feminine aviators. So proper now, I am studying a e book known as ‘Fly Ladies,’ which I extremely advocate, in regards to the early days of aviation and particularly feminine aviators. It is so fascinating that in taking part in the function, I’m now turning into impressed by the historical past and by the ladies who got here earlier than me, and naturally all of the Star Trek actors who’ve been helmsmen and -women earlier than me.”

I grew up in a U.S. Air Pressure household and even did Air Pressure Junior ROTC in highschool, and Ortegas is the primary helmsman on a “Star Trek” present that basically seems like a pilot in perspective and depth. Generally an individual is simply excellent for a task, and the writing has helped by leaning into Navia’s personal experiences and strengths. Not solely that, however seeing a Colombian-American girl be such a badass pilot is really inspiring, as she follows in a protracted custom of girls in “Star Trek” who impressed real-life heroes to chase their goals. 

“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” is offered to stream on Paramount+.