There's a new Star Trek animated series coming to Paramount+, with a young crew of misfits taking the helm of the USS Protostar through the Delta Quadrant in Star Trek: Prodigy. Joining the cast of relative newcomers is Kate Mulgrew, reprising her iconic role as Kathryn Janeway, albeit as a training hologram programmed to help the Protostar's rookie crew as they pilot the starship through the cosmos. While this incarnation of Janeway may not exactly be the veteran Starfleet officer that led her crew to safety through the Delta Quadrant in Star Trek: Voyager, the hologram still has a commanding presence. She guides and mentors the Protostar crew while developing more of a personality herself.
In a roundtable interview attended by CBR and other press outlets, Mulgrew explained why Prodigy appealing to younger audiences is vital for the future of the Star Trek franchise. She shared her joy in taking on voiceover acting roles and revealed how she sees her live-action depiction of Janeway compared to her animated counterpart.
Compared to Janeway's previous depictions as a Captain and Vice Admiral, Mulgrew jokingly observes that the hologram iteration of the character she portrays on Prodigy seems like a bit of a demotion. However, the Star Trek: Voyager actor is excited by the prospect of guiding a new generation. In particular, Mulgrew feels Prodigy will finally introduce the Star Trek franchise to younger audiences, something that the franchise hasn't done for some time.
"It is a very elevated thing to be able to voice this hologram who will evolve over time into a Captain and a Vice Admiral," Mulgrew said. "I love bringing this to this demographic, we missed the young people, kids. In doing so, we've missed the essence of Star Trek which is the beauty of the imagination, what it can, in fact, foster and develop. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this lands on their little ears and eyes."
Mulgrew sees Prodigy as "an entirely new way of looking at Star Trek." As for the hologram Janeway playing more a mentor role than a commanding officer, Mulgrew sees it as a natural extension and "an innate part of her character." Mulgrew reasoned that Janeway was already a mentor figure to several Voyager characters, especially Seven of Nine. That said, Mulgrew is sure that any iteration of Janeway would be annoyed at how Prodigy's protagonist Dal sits haphazardly on the Protostar's captain's chair but assures audiences she "will teach him in short order how to sit up straight and fly right."
Regarding the difference between the hologram Janeway and her corporeal counterpart, Mulgrew explained that her classic character is comparatively more "complex and nuanced" than the hologram facsimile -- which Mulgrew observes starts out as "stripped of emotion." While Mulgrew hopes that Prodigy "gets into the subtleties" of Janeway's persona later, the animated series starts with a stoic, clean-cut character while acknowledging that her performance has to be "fully alive" to hold the audience's interest.
CBR asked how Mulgrew saw being able to reprise her role as Janeway in voiceover work compared to live-action -- especially in light of Mulgrew's past voiceover role as Flemeth in the acclaimed Dragon Age franchise. "Live-action is far more demanding and far more rigorous when you're being looked at," Mulgrew reflected. "The camera is a very clinical instrument and very demanding, it's an altogether different kettle of fish."
"There's freedom in the booth and utter relaxation and space to go wherever I want to go with my voice, which I love to play with even now and I've been doing it for 47 years," Mulgrew continued. "I find that almost always a great pleasure and deeply satisfying. When I leave the recording booth, I'm satisfied. Sometimes when I walk away from the camera or a take, I want to do it again but I don't feel that in the booth. I feel like every chance is given to me and every opportunity is available to me so I try to make the most of it."
While Mulgrew admitted that the nature of Prodigy's production meant that the camaraderie between the core cast was not as developed as it was with her Voyager castmates, she enjoyed the secluded nature of finding her performance in Prodigy. Mulgrew revealed that her meeting with her Prodigy castmates at New York Comic-Con 2021 was "delightful and full of surprise," but saw the nature of voice work to be "a singular type of experience." As the roundtable came to a close, Mulgrew observed that the young cast should remember that the key in delivering a solid vocal performance is relaxation and breath control, as the motley crew of the Protostar boldly goes where no Star Trek series has gone before.
Created by Kevin and Dan Hageman, Star Trek: Prodigy premieres Oct. 28 on Paramount+, with new episodes released on Thursdays.