Star Trek: Picard's Jack Crusher, Ed Speleers, Originally Auditioned for Strange New Worlds
Ed Speleers joined the Star Trek family playing Jack Crusher, Jean-Luc Picard and Beverly Crusher's son, in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. However, that wasn't the character he initially auditioned to play. It isn't even the Star Trek show he first auditioned to join. Speaking to SFX for their latest issue's Star Trek: Picard cover feature, Speleers revealed he first read for a role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. "Initially, I was actually asked to go up for a different part in a different Star Trek series," Speleers said. "I think it was Strange New Worlds. I did a tape and nothing came of it. I was a bit disgruntled if I remember correctly!"
Since Speleers only received partial dialog, called "sides," to use for his audition, he can't be sure which role he was up to play. However, he does have a guess.
"I'm assuming based on what I've seen of Strange New Worlds that it's the Kirk character that Paul Wesley played," Speleers said. "Maybe I'm backing myself far too much there. But I feel that that's right, judging by the sides that I had at the time. That sounds very conceited of me, doesn't it? 'I thought I must have been going up for Kirk, it has to be!'"
It's hard to think of a more iconic Star Trek role to miss than that of James T. Kirk. However, playing the son of Jean-Luc Picard is a pretty good consolation prize.
Ed Speleers on playing Jack Crusher in Star Trek: Picard Season 3
ComicBook.com had the opportunity to speak with Speleers ahead of Star Trek: Picard Season 3. He told us about his previous familiarity with Star Trek: The Next Generation and developing Jack in scenes with Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden.
"I think I'd of have to have been very remiss to have not been aware of The Next Generation and Picard, and Jean-Luc Picard, specifically," Speleers said. "I cannot say that, originally, I was an aficionado, but I have nostalgic memories of growing up in the U.K. and coming home and one of the four channels was showing Star Trek: The Next Generation at about 6:30, BBC Two, and I have very warm, fuzzy memories of that. And so yeah, to be brought into the fold on this, to be able to work with such iconic characters, is a huge honor, and it's been a wonderful process from start to finish. In terms of knowing what I was going to be getting up to and the character, I knew some elements, but of course then when I met Terry Matalas, our amazing showrunner, in person, he painted the picture. He painted a picture for now and for… He painted a very big picture of me of what he wanted for this character."
Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher in Star Trek: Legacy?
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas hasn't been shy about his desire to develop a spinoff series, being referred to unofficially as Star Trek: Legacy, and the fans are behind him. Speleers told us in our interview that he'd be happy to continue playing Jack Crusher if the opportunity arose.
"[I]f there is a world in which Jack Crusher can continue, I am there with bells on," Speleers said. "I would love to keep playing this part, like beyond anything really. It meant so much to me, the past 18 months, and I hope I find a way to keep wearing his jacket, I suppose."
How to watch Star Trek: Picard
The Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is streaming now in full on Paramount+. All previous Star Trek: Picard episodes, as well as all episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and every other episode of Star Trek television) are streaming now on Paramount+.
Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.