ON THE HOOF

Joug Jones plays Kelpien science officer Lieutenant Saru

Does Saru’s race have any special abilities?

If you saw the trailer, there’s one quote everyone’s been hanging on: “My people have been biologically engineered for one purpose and one purpose alone: to sense the coming of death!” So the guesses are out there. Is he clairvoyant? Can he predict the future? I think of it like the family dog. Dogs start howling at things that you don’t hear. that’s me! And there’s a physical trait that pops out every so often – it’s like, “Oh jeez, it’s embarrassing,” because I’m the only one of my kind in Starfleet. But it’s indicative that I can sense things, like an animal can, before the humans can.

So you’re the canary in the mine?

yeah, exactly. My people come from a planet where it’s a predator and prey situation: you’re either one or the other. My people were the prey, so we’re always on the run, always protecting ourselves. Which sounds like a victim, but when you’re born into that you have to develop defence skills. So we’re badass fighters when put into a corner.

How did you approach creating this new race?

So much informs a performance like this. Wearing transformational make-up informs it. then there’s your costuming… I have hoof feet. In the shoes I’m 6’ 8”. I’ve been equated with gazelles. A gazelle is a prey animal, but it’s beautiful, graceful and can kick your ass if you get behind it. So I feel very gazelle-like. the shoes put me up, so to keep my balance I have to put my hips a little bit forward, which puts me into a supermodel position. I developed this walk where his arms are gliding behind him when he walks. they kind of have a flow to them, much like a fish fin. I love any chance I get to walk down a hallway. It’s like, “I’m on the catwalk! I’m a supermodel!”