With speculation mounting that Alex Kurtzman may soon be out of a job as main creative leader of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy actor Karime Diane has come to the showrunner's defense. In a post on Instagram, Diane, who plays queer Klingon cadet Jay-Den Kraag in Starfleet Academy, posted about his experience working with Kurtzman the past two years, and how the showrunner helped bring his character to the forefront of the series.
"In the context of this character, Jay-Den, the fact that Jay-Den is a gay Klingon is not an accident. It was the result of very thoughtful processes," Diane said in his video, defending the idea that Star Trek has always pushed boundaries with its characters. "It is because there are people behind the scenes, including Alex Kurtzman, who really believe that Star Trek should continue to expand. Star Trek has existed for 60 years. It's always believed in pushing things forward. In the 60s, that looked one way. In the 90s, pushing things forward looked different. And today, pushing things forward, again, always looks different in every single decade."
The actor acknowledged that not everyone may agree with Kurtzman’s creative decisions, but expressed admiration for his passion for the franchise and recognized that being a showrunner for a franchise as big as Star Trek is no easy job.
"I understand not every single person is going to agree with every single creative decision," he continued. "That's fair. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. But what I can say for a fact is this: Alex Kurtzman is a hardcore Trekkie. Like, he's a huge fan. I've seen it with my own two eyes. And he has one of the hardest jobs of being the captain of this ship, whose goal is to keep this universe alive for a completely brand new generation."
Diane recalled his own experiences and messages with young fans who may not have been familiar with Star Trek before watching Starfleet Academy, and their love for the show made them want to go back and watch some of the older series. If you recall, one of hte main goals of Starfleet Academy was to appeal to a younger generation of viewers who may not necessarily be familiar with Captain Kirk or The Original Series.
Diane added, "There are people who have no idea who Captain Kirk is. That sounds ridiculous to us, but it's the truth. I've received so many comments over the past couple of weeks from people who have been like, 'hey, I'm watching Starfleet Academy. I've never seen Star Trek before. I'm going to go back and watch older Trek now because I want to see what it's about.' I've seen so many messages and comments like that."
"I love Alex Kurtzman. I really admire what he's doing," the actor concluded. "He's also just a really nice guy. He's really kind. He loves, loves, loves us so much. By us, I mean the cast, the crew, the fans. His phone is always open. We can call and text him about anything, and he's always responsive. That's rare. That's not always the case on a TV show. He's a fearless leader and a lovely human being."
We don't know for certain if Alex Kurtzman wil be let go from his position as creative leader of modern Star Trek on television, and it's doubtful that Diane's comments alone will say the minds of Paramount execs. Still, it's nice to see that those who worked with projects alongside Kurtzman respect what he brings to the franchise, even if not every decision sits well with fans.