The Big Picture

Gabrielle Ruiz discusses her love for Star Trek and the joy of joining the series as a lifelong Trekkie.
Ruiz promises more space trips for T’lyn, Mariner, and Tendi in Season 5 of
Lower Decks.

Ruiz confirms she would love to return to the franchise after
Lower Decks
especially as live-action T’lyn.

When Star Trek: Lower Decks began we were introduced to a quartet of ensigns working on one of the “least important” ships in Starfleet. Since then, that friend group has grown from four to five to include Vulcan transplant, T’lyn (voiced by Gabrielle Ruiz), who feels as if she was always meant to be part of this ridiculous team of Starfleet’s most unexpected heroes. Now, in the show’s fifth and final season, T’lyn is a fully fledged member of their little group and she brings more than her fair share to the table in terms of the show’s humor and heart.

As we pass the halfway point of the show’s final season — yes, I am still in denial that it’s ending — I sat down with Ruiz to discuss her experience joining the series in a more regular capacity and being a lifelong trekkie, as well as what we can expect from T’yn in the final season. She spoke about Star Trek’s built-in love language among fans, whether you’ve been here for years or this is your first time watching the franchise, and whether she would return for more Star Trek in the future. You can read the transcript for our conversation below or watch the interview in the player above.

COLLIDER: After [the first few] episodes, I’ve seen a lot of people calling T’Lyn their favorite Vulcan. I know she’s my favorite Vulcan.

GABRIELLE RUIZ: Thank you!

I know you’ve been doing voice work on the show since the beginning, but joining the team fully over the last two seasons, how’s it been to really join the Star Trek family and fully embrace this massive franchise? Were you a fan before?

RUIZ: Oh, wow, where to begin with this answer? The bottom line is I am staying present with enjoying and savoring this moment in my career. This is a big one. I am totally a Trekkie. I’m always like, “Star Trek, not Star Wars.” I am that person — come at me! And I was that before the audition before I knew Lower Decks was even happening. And so when the audition came through, I remember telling my husband. It’s all kind of code. A lot of voiceover is a lot of code talk. They don’t want to tell you right up front exactly what’s happening because of social media and online, and whatever. But I remember kind of grasping that it was possibly… I told my husband, I was like, “I think this is Star Trek.” I was like, “This is a big deal. This would be amazing.”

Then, when it does finally happen, when my destiny is meant to be a part of this team, it was bucket list. My mom’s a Trekkie, I grew up with TNG, I grew up falling asleep to it. So, I called them right away because you feel like there’s, like, 100 auditions that go through and you give your stamp on it, you give your try. I really like to audition and letting it go because this is my version of what I think it could be, and when it hits and when it slaps, it’s so wonderful. And that’s happening with T’Lyn in Star Trek, and I’m savoring and staying as present as I can.

That’s a great answer.

Star Trek “Has an Unspoken Love Language,” According to Gabrielle Ruiz
Image via Paramount+

In [the Nanite] episode, I really, really love that T’Lyn is like, “Actually, I’m a huge fan of this rock alien guy who plays the vibe tubes,” and then it turns out that he’s a fan of her, as well. I thought that was such a fun reveal for your character. What was your reaction to reading the script for Episode 3 and seeing T’Lyn’s big hero moment, and then what’s something that is similar to that reveal that you maybe believe about your character that isn’t necessarily in the show, but you use it for your performance?

RUIZ: I do love that they’re all stuck in that thing, and so they’re all trapped. Metaphorically, every show tries to have the conflict of the growth of each character, and you get to see them in this internal conflict literally. I love that in Lower Decks, and probably every series of Star Trek, you see the friendship in the teamwork, and you see them go above and beyond what they’re having personally to get the job done. That T’Lyn, who’s musically inclined and is such a fan of what Krog does, she gets to use that moment, I think was so funny and hilarious because she’s so non-emotional. And even when they burst through, and the whole thing explodes, everyone’s screaming, and she’s just dead pan face. That was the funnest part for me, that she’s like, “There, I fixed it. You’re welcome.” [Laughs]

But the moment that she talks to Krog, and they have a mutual respect for each other, I think the best part — I don’t remember if I read it or if they added it later — is that they salute each other in Vulcan. That got me. That actually got me emotional. It touched my heart because Star Trek is so beautiful. It has an unspoken love language to each other, whether you are a first-year fan or you’re a lifelong fan. That first-year fan, lifelong fandom happens between T’Lyn and Krog. Lower Decks does it again. They put a wonderful button and a bow on everything and anything we love about Star Trek.

Absolutely. Oh, I love this show so much!

RUIZ: Me too!

Going back to the first two episodes, I love that little joke that T’Lyn plays on her friends at the end of the first episode, and it seems like she’s really bonding with them this season. Do you have a favorite bit or joke from the five of them that you’re really excited for fans to see?

RUIZ: It’s kind of hard to always answer these kinds of questions specifically because us voiceover actors don’t necessarily memorize lines, and then we did it like a year and a half ago. But when I get to watch it with you on Paramount+ at the same time, it almost feels like a new show. I get a whole new surprising moment.

I played Valencia on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and I loved how she didn’t understand humor, and my sister sometimes doesn’t understand when I throw a joke at her. So, the fact that my characters in my career always have this running joke, like, “Oh, you were making a joke…” the fact that T’Lyn got to throw it back to the crew is a favorite moment for sure. She throws a joke and then you see her reaction, you see the smirk a little bit, like a hairline smirk that is beyond reckless for a Vulcan is everything that we love about Lower Decks.

All those little glimpses into her just getting on those little emotional beats are so, so good.

RUIZ: What a rebel.

Gabrielle Ruiz Promises More “Girl Trips” in ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 5
Image via Paramount+

Speaking of that, Episode 2 got me really emotional when she goes and breaks the whole shuttle just so that they can all fix it again together. I am really enjoying her relationships with each of the other members of her team. What can you tease about her relationships with Mariner and Rutherford and Tendi and Boimler?

RUIZ: The girl group is gonna be fierce forever. The girl group, the girl trips, road trip, space trip, whatever you want to call it in the Star Trek world, I love when those moments are available for T’Lyn, Tendi, and Mariner. So, that I look forward to.

Me too! So, I asked your co-stars this when I was talking to them for the junket recently — if you had to pick three words to describe the series finale, what would they be?

RUIZ: I would say satisfying, specific, remarkable.

Excellent. I love that!

RUIZ: I’m sure someone had funnier ones, but again, I’m not the funny one of the group, so I get to lean into that.

That’s great.

RUIZ: I’m sure someone said, like, “nachos,” or something. [Laughs]

They all have very cryptic answers, so it’s very good. I’m excited.

RUIZ: Ears. Last breath.

I am so, so sad that this show is ending, but with Star Trek, the franchise is so big, and the possibilities are almost endless. With you being a fan of it yourself, you know that they bring back actors for various things and other options. If you were to come back into the Star Trek franchise, how would you want to return? Would you want to play a live-action T’Lyn? Would you want to play a totally new character?

RUIZ: Oh my, that’s such a nice question. I will be selfish and say I definitely will hoard every option that T’Lyn gets in the Star Trek franchise. Every cosplay person come up to me, I love it. Feed the ego, the Vulcan ego. If I could play her in live-action in a different Star Trek ship, absolutely. Please only call me. Please! Whoever needs to hear this, please call me. And should she be a professor or a mentor in all the other moments that they’re learning how to be a Vulcan, I am all about it. I would love to continue to learn in her journey in all of Star Trek.

New episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 arrive on Paramount+ every Thursday.

Star Trek Lower Decks Release Date August 6, 2020 Story By gene roddenbury Writers Gene Roddenberry Network Paramount Streaming Service(s) Paramount+ Expand

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