Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: doug jones, paramount, Saru, star trek: discovery

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5: Doug Jones on What's Ahead For Saru

Doug Jones breaks down his journey as Saru in the fifth & final season of Paramount+'s Star Trek: Discovery - including uncharted territory.

Doug Jones is one of the most talented actors and chameleons of our generation, considering he's far more known for playing supernatural and extraterrestrial characters in Hellboy (2004), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), and FX's What We Do in the Shadows. Arguably, his biggest role is Saru in Star Trek: Discovery. The Kelpian's come a long way since his days on the U.S.S. Shenzou as second officer to Captain Phillippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), becoming first officer to Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs), before becoming captain himself of the U.S.S. Discovery and seeing Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) rise like a phoenix after being stripped of rank and saving the galaxy more than once on her way to the Chair. Jones spoke to TrekMovie.com on what to expect to see from Saru in the fifth and final season of the Paramount+ series covering a variety of topics, including his increased stunt work, evolution of his Saru makeup, and romance with Ni'Var President T'Rina (Tara Rosling).

Star Trek: Discovery: Doug Jones' Long Journey as Saru

When it comes to seeing Saru more active on away missions and flexing those action muscles, "My stunt guy, I want to give him full credit for all that he did for me over all the five seasons as well as 'Shape of Water' and 'What We Do in the Shadows,'" Jones said. "He has been my guy in Toronto. When you find a tall, skinny stunt actor who can take a hit and live through it, you keep him, and [Bauston Camilleri] saved my life. So, he did the lion's share of outdoors, uneven terrain, running—that was him. But I still have to do an awful lot out in the forest as well. And when you're wearing heavy makeup with prosthetics, it is what it is, no matter what environment you're in. It doesn't even need to be treacherous terrain. Just even trying to walk, it's hard enough on a flat floor, let alone in a forest."

As far as if there are any differences with his Saru makeup this season, "Not necessarily, except that the silicone material that my prosthetics are made out of, I found out they accidentally ran it softer than usual one time. And I said, 'Oh my gosh, this is so much better,'" he said. "They can run it hard like a truck tire, or they can run it soft like a breast implant. They can run the whole range. So the softer, more pliable version, I asked them to keep it that way from now on. We didn't discover that until season 5 [laughs]. So, better late than never. It does move better now. It does express better."

The budding romance between Saru and T'Rina will also continue its natural evolution. "Well, the growing romance. It's rare to be in a nonhuman character, in wacky makeup, and have a romance story as well. It's happened a couple of times, 'The Shape of Water' being one of them," Jones said. "But also this. Having a love interest with President T'Rina, my lovely Vulcan lady friend. And it was a very dignified and subtle relationship that now, in season 5, builds to a lovely crescendo." For more including what Jones will miss about Discovery beyond the cast and his thoughts on appearing in Starfleet Academy, you can check out the interview here. Season five premieres April 4th on Paramount+.

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