Blu del Barrio – Star Trek: Discovery

By starrymag | February 22, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us where we pick up this season on and with Adira.

A) We pick up this season just a few months after we left off! The crew has figured out what caused the burn and how to start helping everyone with the aftermath. At the start of this season, Adria’s focus is entirely on helping gray reincorporate, so he can finally be seen.

 

Q) What initially made you want to be a part of the series?

A) “Star Trek” in itself is such a beautiful thing – as a show, as a message, and because of the community it creates. So, having the opportunity to be a part of it, and getting to play a character who is representative of myself and who I am was just the biggest gift.

 

Q) How was Adira originally described to you?

A) Adira was originally described as someone wise beyond their years. Otherwise, I had a lot of freedom to fill in the blanks. It’s been a very open conversation between myself and the writers/producers, which I really appreciate.

 

Q) Has there been anything you have added to the character that wasn’t there in that breakdown for them?

A) Oh definitely! As I said, I had quite a bit of freedom, and I think it’s vital that characters be shaped and melded by the actors playing them. It’s a very personal process, especially for me in this instance where the character is also non-binary. But there are many parts of Adira that got formed along the way. Their high level of anxiety for instance. Adira is incredibly wise, but they are also still a kid. There’s a lot going on in their body and brain (on top of having lived through the burn and losing their boyfriend). So, they have definitely been having to work through a lot of mental health issues.

 

Q) What have you found the most challenging aspect about portraying Adira? The engineering jargon?

A) Actually yes! I still find learning all of the technical lines pretty difficult, especially since the science in “Trek” isn’t just gobbledygook. So, just memorizing the words doesn’t help. I have to read through and talk to people until I actually understand the science myself.

 

Q) Going into Season 4, were you looking forward to sharing a scene(s) with anyone(s) in particular?

A) I’d been hoping to get to work with Mary Wiseman. We didn’t get to do a lot together during my first season on the show, but I just think she’s one of the best actors I’ve ever met. Luckily, we got to work together a ton this season, and now she’s just one of my favorite human beings I’ve ever met.

 

Q) I love Adira relationship with Culber and Statmets. What makes them the perfect parental figures for Adira?

A) I also love their familial relationship. I think they’re such a great fit because Adira can see themselves in both of them. Hardheaded and intelligent like Stamets (Anthony Rapp), and empathetic and wise like Culber (Wilson Cruz). I think having these two queer adult figures as role models is priceless to Adira. I think they’ll be the aid Adira needs to grow into a mature and grounded adult.

 

Q) Speaking of relationships, Adira has quite a bond still with Gray. Is their love timeless or is it the connection they share as hosts?

A) I imagined that this is both of their first times truly being in love. They’re still so young, but they have such an incredible bond. One that didn’t just start when Gray’s (Ian Alexander) symbiont was transferred. So, in a way, yes, I think their love is timeless, like a lot of first loves are.

 

Q) What have been some of your most memorable moments from working on “Star Trek: Discovery?”

A) A really special moment from this season for me was Tilly leaving me her snow globe. It’s a very short scene. There are no lines. And Mary’s not even in it. I find the snow globe where she’s placed it on my bed. Gray is with me. And I walk over to the window and watch Tilly leave. It was such a small but special little moment. I really love it.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. What kind of fan feedback have you been receiving to this special role you play on the show?

A) I’ve never been really comfortable around social media. But I know that because of the job that I have, it can be pretty important. So, I try and stay active on it. Unfortunately, I get mixed feedback. As do most trans actors in the media right now. I receive so much love on one end from LGBTQ+ fans and even parents of LGBTQ+ kids, which really is the best part of all of this for me. And on the other end, there’s just a lot of transphobia. I try to take whatever measures I can to filter out hateful messages or comments because I’m a very sensitive person, and also because I don’t want any of our queer audience to have to read that stuff either. It can be seriously harmful.

 

Q) What do you think it is about “Star Trek: Discovery” that continues to make it such a standout sci-fi series?

A) Wilson Cruz has said this in a few interviews we’ve had, but it always sticks with me. The crew of Discovery looks like what our world looks like. Any sidewalk you walk down will be incredibly diverse. And that’s what every TV show’s cast should look like. Diversity on screen is so much more important and life-changing than some people realize. I believe this is why “Discovery” has had so much pull. People are seeing themselves on TV. Maybe for the first time ever.

 

Q) What are the other projects that you have been recently working on that fans of yours should be on the lookout for?

A) Sadly, none that I can share publicly at the moment. But soon! Very excited about them!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who are fans and supporters of you and the work you do?

A) The impact that Adira and Gray have had on people does not go unnoticed. My life would have been so different if I’d had these two characters on my TV screen as a kid. So, when I see your messages (I read them all!), it means the absolute world to me. I have so much love for all of you.