Summary
- James Hiroyuki Liao's character in Star Trek: Section 31 is described as a "broken soul" in the 24th century "lost era".
- He praised working with Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh and called his character intense and complex.
- Liao expressed gratitude for the Section 31 opportunity, calling it one of the greatest characters he's played and feeling fortunate and speechless.
James Hiroyuki Liao hints at his character in Star Trek: Section 31 and what it was like working with Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. Written by Craig Sweeny and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Section 31 is the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+. Yeoh reprises her iconic Star Trek: Discovery role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, and meets a cast of new and legacy characters in Star Trek's 24th century "lost era".
Screen Rant interviewed James Hiroyuki Liao about his role in Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent, and he was asked what he could reveal about Star Trek: Section 31. Hiroyuki Liao called his unnamed character "a broken soul", and he praised his "hero" Michelle Yeoh and Section 31's "special cast." Read his quote below:
I can't say really much about anything about who I play on Star Trek: Section 31. All I can say is that my guy is very, very intense. Without giving anything away, he's a broken soul, and hurt people hurt people. I think I gotta leave it at that, otherwise I get in trouble. But I love playing him.
He's maybe one of the greatest characters I've had the chance to play, and working with my hero [Michelle Yeoh] for such a long time has just been an insane time for me. I'm working with so many people that I have admired for so long. Michelle Yeoh is just everything, and I loved working with her. It was such a special cast as well. I've been on cloud nine. I'm so lucky. If you told this kid from Brooklyn that this is where he'd be 20 years ago? I would have never believed you. I'm so fortunate. I'm speechless.
Everything We Know About Star Trek: Section 31
Star Trek gets its first made-for-streaming movie
Fitting for a movie about Starfleet's top-secret black ops division, Star Trek: Section 31 is shrouded in mystery. Section 31 is the first Star Trek movie made for streaming on Paramount+, and if it's a success, it could spawn a sequel and, hopefully, open the door for more Star Trek streaming movies about other characters and eras. Section 31's filming wrapped in March in Toronto and the film awaits a Paramount+ release date as post-production is completed.
The actors joining Michelle Yeoh in Star Trek: Section 31 were announced in January 2024, but their characters were kept hidden - except for one. Kacey Rohl is playing the young Rachel Garrett, the doomed future Captain of the USS Enterprise-C in Star Trek: The Next Generation. This indicates Emperor Georgiou's time travel will drop her in the early 24th century of Star Trek's "lost era". Georgiou will also confront the origins and sins of Star Trek: Section 31 in what has been said to be a very different type of Star Trek adventure.
