Star Trek: Anson Mount Does His Best Riker Impersonation

Anson Mount will step into the role of Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, but for just a moment he did his best performance as Commander Will Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Mount was a guest at the Christmas with the Captains event, along with William Shatner, at the Star Trek: The Orignal Series Set Tour in Ticonderoga, New York. A fan who attended the event shared some photos, one of which showing Mount in a strange position. He is sitting in the captain’s chair and grabbing the bottom of the seat. The photo was odd enough for Shatner himself to openly wonder what was going on.

Mount replied, explaining that he was doing his best imitation of Jonathan Frakes as Commander Riker during a scene where the Enterprise was taking damage in battle.

Mount got to work with Frakes as The Next Generation alum directed two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery‘s second season. At Christmas with the Captains, Mount said that meeting Frakes was his biggest Star Trek geek out moment in joining the franchise. He had previously named Frakes when describing what it was like to join the Star Trek family on an episode of his podcast, The Well.

“It’s crazy man,” Mount says. “Getting cast in Star Trek is not like getting any other job. It’s also kind of like a rite of passage that very few actors get to enjoy. It’s nuts because you’re not just joining a cast, you’re joining cultural touchstone, a big family. Jonathan Frakes, who played ‘Number One’ in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he’s our current director for episode two. Of course, I worked with Colm Meaney and they’re constantly asking me about Colm and Marvin Rush, who was the DP on Hell on Wheels, shot a lot of Star Trek.”

Mount also stated at the event that Star Trek: Discovery Season Two has had its order extended by one episode, meaning the new season will be 14 episodes along instead of the originally ordered 13.

What do you think of Mount’s Riker maneuver? Let us know in the comments!

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S., through CraveTV in Canada and through Netflix in other international markets.

Star Trek: Discovery Season Two is now filming in Toronto and will premiere on CBS All Access on January 17, 2019.