Posted in: CBS, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: Bruce Horak, Hemmer, preview, star trek, strange new worlds

Star Trek: SNW Visually-Impaired Actor Bruce Horak on Playing Hemmer

LeVar Burton earns the distinction as the first Star Trek main cast member to play a character with a physical disability as the visually-impaired Lt. Cmdr Geordi LaForge, who would become the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's chief engineer on Next Generation over 30 years ago. As Burton himself is sighted, the idea paved way for Strange New Worlds' casting of visually-impaired actor Bruce Horak as Chief Engineer Hemmer, who spoke with The Calgary Herald about his audition, his character's interactions, and what it means to be part of the sci-fi franchise. The character will be making his debut in the second episode "Children of the Comet".

Hemmer is an Aenar, an ice-dwelling sub-species of the Andorians who are blind but have enhanced abilities in other areas. "The thing that really got me excited about it is that, even though his eyes don't work, he's got this incredible telepathy," the Calgary native said. "So basically he sees by using (telepathy), which reminded me of Daredevil and his ability to see even though his eyes don't work. It reshaped and reframed impairment and disability. I just got really excited about being able to bring some of my own life experience with one sense of mine, which is diminished, shall we say. How do the other senses heighten and compare? If I had the sense of telepathy, what could I possibly do with it and what other great things, artistically, could I get away with?"

Horak's accomplish a lot in his life despite having lost most of his eyesight as an infant due to rare cancer. With nine percent vision, he became an accomplished painter, musician, and veteran actor well-known in Calgary's theatre community. Producers casting the role of Hemmer were specific in calling for an actor who is visually impaired. The actor grew up as a Trekkie, but there was little to go off of the Aenar beyond the UPN series Star Trek: Enterprise. "I get to put on the face and build the character," Horak said. "He just kind of emerges in front of me. He is very different from me: His mannerisms, the way that he moves, his confidence. He's just got this presence. And that begins and, in a lot of ways, ends with the new face." For more on Horak's career on the stage, representation, and more, you can check out the entire interview here. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams Thursdays on Paramount+. You can check out our interview with star Melissa Navia (Lt. Ortegas): Part One & Two.

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