Coutts: Discovery and Keyla Detmer
2 min read
Emily Coutts is a new science fiction fan, courtesy of her work on Star Trek: Discovery.
The actress liked the idea of the show when it was presented to her. “The concept itself was exciting,” she said, “so when I was offered the opportunity to read for it, I was so down to be a part of this legacy and the epic show. Everyone who was working on it was so fantastic, I just felt very excited and lucky to be part of the group.”
One of the challenges for Coutts was “the language” and “just getting a grasp on the Star Trek world.” Coutts tried preparing for the role by “watching all the Star Trek shows and TV, but it seems to be endless,” she explained. “I wasn’t like a Trekkie growing up, so I sort of had to learn everything about this world because I wanted to give the fans something they felt was in line with where the story had come from. So basically just getting my head around all the elements of the show.”
So what about that haircut and facial appliance? Was that a challenge for Coutts? “It sort of came about in the middle of episode 2,” she said. “They decided Keyla was going to continue on and [tried] to figure out what happened to her. There was talk of a haircut and I didn’t know what to expect. My agent called and said they wanted to do a kind of headpiece and half shave, so I said let’s do it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of this show. It was a fun change and I like doing stuff like that. It instantly puts you in a place where you feel like Keyla.”
So what is Keyla like? “Keyla has always had this goal of what she wants to accomplish, so she’s been very focused,” said Coutts. “[She] is part of Starfleet and is really good at what she does. What happened to her on the Shenzhou, having to join a totally new crew under Captain Gabriel Lorca, who is different from what she was used to and the Starfleet she was used to, so she was basically a fish out of water. We can all relate to that in some way. That was her biggest challenge because I wanted to make sure its depth was represented in her journey to the Discovery.”
Now that she is on a Trek show, Coutts is “a huge Trekkie. I totally got into the world and was taken by the whole thing,” she said. “I started with the original series and went on to TNG.”
“So I’m continuing to watch it,” she said. “So yeah, I consider myself a sci-fi fan.”
About The Author
