Rhys Darby Returns To Star Trek: Strange New Worlds As A More "Mature" Trelane (Exclusive)

Image via Paramount+ Published Sep 7, 2026, 10:06 AM EDT John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 7 - "Like Chronitons Through The Hourglass"Rhys Darby returns as Trelane in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' soap opera episode, but with a hint of maturity to the naughty young Q. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 7, Trelane warps reality and plunges the crew of the USS Enterprise into a soap opera, seeking top marks for a school project. “I was very happy," Darby told ScreenRant's John Orquiola in our exclusive interview. "I think I found out like six months later, after doing the first one, that they wanted me back, and I was flabbergasted." The New Zealand-born comic had previously portrayed Trelane in "Wedding Bell Blues," one of the most well-received episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' controversial third season. "It's always a nerve-wracking thing being the new person on the block, especially playing a legacy character," Darby explains about his first outing as Trelane. "And I know there was a bit of a hush about, ‘who is this guy?', and there were a few reveals. Obviously, Q being one of them," Rhys says, referring to Strange New Worlds retconning Q (John de Lancie) as Trelane's father, confirming decades-long fan speculation. "It was just really great to have the fans welcome me and enjoy this character coming back," Darby says, and he cheekily hopes for another chance to play Trelane: "Let's get this guy back until it cements me into the canon.” How Rhys Darby Mastered His Portrayal Of Trelane The character of Trelane was originated by William Campbell in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "The Squire of Gothos." To capture the essence of playing the 8,021-year-old space god, who was really still a child by the standards of the Q Continuum, Rhys Darby went "back to the source material," where Trelane was "played so beautifully" by Campbell. "It was easy just watching that. And really, that's your blueprint. And then you can bounce off from that as long as you don't stray too far from what that is." He had to be a trickster. He had to be young at heart and mischievous. I just wanted to portray those things and put my kind of spin on it - my flourish, if you will. So, I just wanted to make sure that he was playful. That's the main thing; he's having fun with these humans. They're toys to him. So, that was my angle. And once I got the costume on? Forget about it. That really helps me every time. It was so beautiful, and it gave me some regal kind of vibes. I felt like I had some power there. However, Trelane is "a little bit more mature, believe it or not," Darby points out. "It's his second time with this crew. I think he really has fallen for the idea of working with them, and he likes them. So he's still molding them. He's still having fun with them, but I think there's a little bit more respect there. He's a little bit, a tiny bit older. So it's not so much him being a naughty boy; it's him actually doing something he's supposed to do for his education.” ScreenRant: He has these giant mutton chops. Do you grow those out, or is that added? Rhys Darby: No, that's an add-on. I could, but it would take me too long. So, yeah, hair and makeup. Rhys Darby Delighted In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Soap Opera Tropes Image via Paramount+ Rhys Darby is a fan of soap operas: “We had them back in New Zealand, of course. We had Days of Our Lives. It was a global hit. I remember watching them." Watching this as a soap opera, it actually worked. Darby is also impressed by how Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, episode 7 perfectly captures the melodrama of a soap opera. "I tell you what, watching this as a soap opera, it actually worked. I was like, I'm in on this because they're so emotional, and those dramatic pauses just make you think a little bit more about what's at stake, and the music helps." Darby raves. "All of those tropes, the soft lighting, all of that kind of stuff. It slows everything right down. And I even watched this episode during the day, and it just helped.” Trelane had a checklist of classic soap opera twists that he applied to the Starship Enterprise's crew. Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) has amnesia, while Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) believes she's Pike's long-lost daughter. Meanwhile, Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) is afflicted with "space madness." "And he's trying to hide it. I love that,” Darby chuckles. However, Rhys' favorite trope belonged to Ethan Peck, who played the dual role of Mr. Spock and his "evil twin," Sybok. Well, I mean, it's hard to go past the evil twin. That's just a classic, and to see Ethan do that really blew me away. Who doesn't want to play the evil twin of your character? So I could see the joy he was having with that. I think that's my favorite. Working With Diedre Hall & Anson Mount In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Soap Opera Image via Paramount+ Rhys Darby wasn't the only guest star in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' soap opera. He shared the screen with Days of Our Lives icon Diedre Hall, who played Captain Pike's therapist, Dr. Eleanor Chivers. Darby called working with Hall, "Great. I mean, she does everything with such grace, and just to be in her presence, someone that's iconic like that. All I'm trying to do is just show respect, which is hard when you're a cheeky character." She's sitting there frozen for most of it because they're all in a spell, but it was wonderful to meet her. She's an icon. I've met some pretty cool people in my career, so it's just another tick on the box. And to pull that iconic thing from Earth from the 20th century into space is so cool. Darby also had a ball jousting on-screen with Captain Pike himself, Anson Mount, who is an effortlessly comic actor in his own right. “Yeah, I love him," Rhys raves. "He's a really, really cool guy, and it was fun to go toe to toe with him. A little daunting. I mean, he's the captain of the Enterprise, but we got along really well, so it was fun. I wanted to do more.” Will Rhys Darby Return As Trelane In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 5? Both of Rhys Darby's appearances as Trelane were surprises, so naturally, the question becomes: Will he make one more comeback as Trelane in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' fifth and final season? “Come on, you've got to!" Darby says, before adding, "Maybe. I don't know. It's out of my hands, obviously." Maybe there's too much of Trelane, but I'm just glad he made another appearance. It really makes me happy. I think it's for the fans, who love the Q through-line. I think it makes them happy. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wrapped filming its 6-episode final season last December, so if Darby does snap back onto the USS Enterprise as Trelane, he has already shot it, and it's top secret along with the rest of season 5. However, since Strange New Worlds' production is over, there's another question about Darby as the future Squire of Gothos: ScreenRant: Did you get to keep Trelane's coat? Oh, my gosh, no way! No, that was taken off me before I even got back to the dressing room. That'll go straight into the special costumes vault that will be kept special forever. It's a good one, and hopefully, fingers crossed, it will make another appearance. It's good when you do these things because they spend so much time designing and creating the garments. I think to have another outing with it has been a privilege, and I look forward to hopefully one day seeing it again. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 is streaming on Paramount+ Check out our other Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 interviews: Anson Mount Dave Foley Celia Rose Gooding Rachael Harris & Joe Lo Truglio Jess Bush Release Date 2022 - 2027-00-00 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman Directors Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman Writers Onitra Johnson Franchise(s) Star Trek Creator(s) Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet