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Paul Giamatti Details Nus Braka, Starfleet Academy’s Hybrid Pirate Villain

Paramount+ debuts the series with two episodes on January 15, 2026.

Overview

  • Paul Giamatti describes Nus Braka as half-Klingon and half-Tellarite, adopting a deliberate close-talking “Klingon” tick to shape the character’s physicality.
  • He says Braka leads a pirate organization referred to as the Vanari Ral (also rendered V’Nari Raal), operating as a smuggler and trafficker who targets Starfleet cadets.
  • Giamatti characterizes Braka’s inner life as a “malformed child” who envies the students and maintains a personal connection to Chancellor Nahla Ake.
  • He cites classic Trek antagonists—Khan, Chang, Gul Dukat, Q, and Trelane—as key influences on the character’s voice and chaotic edge.
  • The actor notes that prosthetic makeup and choices such as ritual scarring and clipped ears helped define Braka’s look, following a CCXP rollout that introduced the role.