Casting The Star Trek: Enterprise Reboot

2. T'pol - Anya Chalotra

Enterprise Neeson
Netflix/CBS

T'pol is one of the key roles that will sell this fantasy reboot of Star Trek: Enterprise and following Jolene Blalock's shoes is an ask in itself. Anya Chalotra may not have all that many acting credits to her name but what she does have is the role of Yennefer in Netflix's The Witcher.

In the first season, Chalotra portrays a woman who goes from broken, rage fueled adolescent to a powerful witch, all in a very short amount of time. What this shows is that she has range that she can draw on. Playing a Vulcan is never easy. Playing the first Vulcan to serve on a Starfleet vessel, while not truly believing in the strength of the people around her - this is something that could easily fall into a one dimensional character.

However, where Blalock succeeded was in letting a very quiet optimism come through some of T'pol's frostier expressions. Chalotra was forced, in The Witcher, to face the fact that as Yennefer, she had this incredible power and yet also had to constantly prove herself to those around her. While that is not exactly T'pol's journey, there is the common theme of stranger in a strange land. Chalotra has already clearly demonstrated her ability to command a scene with the smallest of gestures. In playing a Vulcan, so much of the role is subtext. If there is one actor working today who can nail this, it is Anya Chalotra.

Contributor
Contributor

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick