Exclusive interview with Jeremy Raymond

June, 2013 | Jeremy Raymond plays a part in the opening sequence of the J.J. Abrams movie "Star Trek Into Darkness". In this exclusive interview with myFanbase he shares some memories of the days on set and gives fans of the "Star Trek" franchise something to look forward to in the DVD and Blu-ray release.


Note: © myFanbase 2013 - The interview is exclusive to myFanbase and may not be published on other websites or the like. You may share the first two questions if you link back to this site. Translations other than English and German may be posted with full credit including the writer's name and link to this site.

Foto: Jeremy Raymond - Copyright: Triumph Street Photography
Jeremy Raymond
© Triumph Street Photography

1. You play the lead Nibiran in "Star Trek Into Darkness". What was the auditioning process like?

Actually they offered me the role, so I didn't audition. J.J. Abrams had seen a movie I had done a few years ago, and at that time there was a certain role in Trek 2 that he was looking to cast. So they flew me down to LA to meet J.J. and the rest of the team. And of course I was keen to get on board with a project like this.

2. Were your scenes filmed outside or in the studio? And what were the red trees made of?

Now I've got to tread very carefully here because I can't say too much about how certain things got made. Everybody worked so hard to create these wonderful, magical worlds and I wouldn't want to say anything that would spoil the illusion for the audience. Also, I'm pretty sure J.J. Abrams has a team of ninja assassins standing by that would take me down if I let too much slip.

What I can say is that the first time I walked onto this set, I was totally blown away. I mean my jaw was hanging down by my knees. J.J. prefers to have practical effects as much as possible, and then to have those enhanced with CG, so as an actor it was wonderful to have an actual, physical world to play around in.

3. Playing a Nibiran probably involved spending a lot of quiet time in make-up?

Again, I can't say too much about this particular aspect, but for those film nerds (like me) who love to watch behind-the-scenes documentaries, you're in luck: we had a film crew documenting the whole process, from earliest conception to the filming of it, and that will be appearing on the DVD of Star Trek Into Darkness. That will tell you all the things that I can't say quite yet.

4. What do you remember best from working with Chris Pine and Karl Urban and with J.J. Abrams as director?

Chris and Karl were great. You could tell that the core cast had really bonded like a family, and they were very welcoming to me. It was a long shoot, but they were absolute pros.

As for J.J… what can I say about the man that hasn't already been said about his work? It was phenomenal to work with someone who is so passionate about movies and storytelling. He put a lot of faith in me, as he seems to do with most of the people he works with, and that inspired me to really bring my A-game. He's also very sharp with a great sense of humor; even when we were all dog-tired he could get you laughing.

5. Abrams said in an interview with his reboot of the "Star Trek" franchise he wanted to bring optimism back to science fiction movies. Would you say this is also the premise in "Into Darkness"?

Foto: Jeremy Raymond - Copyright: Triumph Street Photography
Jeremy Raymond
© Triumph Street Photography

I wouldn't say that it's the premise of the story, but the film certainly seems to be achieving that. I've heard from so many people that they weren't really sci-fi fans, but seeing J.J.'s first "Star Trek" planted a hook in them, and they've since sought out some of the other stories that genre has to offer. And not only is he bringing in scores of new fans, but he seems to be satisfying most of the old-school fans as well, which is quite a feat when you think about it.

6. Abrams also said you don't need to be a "Star Trek" fan to enjoy this movie. Would you agree?

You absolutely don't need an encyclopedic knowledge of the previous Star Trek shows to enjoy this movie. There are plenty of people discovering Star Trek for the first time through this movie, and some of those newly minted fans are being inspired to seek out some of what has come before.

But one of the great things about J.J.'s Star Trek films is that if you are a fan, you're not being ignored. There are plenty of wonderful little surprises and nods to the original series that fans will be tickled to find.

7. Do you remember some funny moments from the set you can share?

On set the Nibirans were referred to as 'Nibs' for short. We had been filming for about a week when one day J.J. started passing out bags of Licorice Nibs for all of us. We all got a kick out of that.

8. Are you a little bit of sci-fi geek yourself? A fan of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" or even other sci-fi shows? If so, who is your favorite captain and why?

I am a geek in a lot of ways, but I hesitate to call myself a full-fledged sci-fi geek. I've watched bits and pieces of every "Star Trek" series and I couldn't tell you how many times I've watched the original "Star Wars" trilogy, but I haven't really gotten into many other sci-fi shows. I have to be careful of getting into any series because once I start, I have to finish it; I'm almost compulsive that way. So when you talk about a series like "Doctor Who"; that represents a formidable investment in time that I just can't make, no matter how cool it seems.

My favorite captain would have to be Picard, all the way. If I had to pick a guy to follow into battle, it would definitely be him.

9. Since myFanbase is an online magazine about U.S. television shows, what are your favorite show(s)?

"Breaking Bad" definitely has the top spot in my heart. "Louie" is also one that I follow religiously. I also love the "Daily Show" and "The Colbert report", and am currently having my deepest emotions manipulated by "Game of Thrones". Also, one of my best friends is a lead animator on the new "Ninja Turtles" series, so I've been sitting down with my inner-child once a week to check that out.

Thank you Jeremy, we wish you all the best for your future projects!

Nicole Oebel - myFanbase