Idris Elba: Not A Gorn
2 min read
In addition to releasing a new photo from Star Trek Beyond (seen in the photo accompanying this article), Entertainment Weekly interviewed Idris Elba who spoke about his character Krall and Krall’s motivations in the film.
“I play Krall,” said Elba. “This is a man with a definite purpose. I say a man, but he’s not a man. Or is he?”
When asked if he was a Gorn, Elba said “no.” He said that Krall was a new species in the Trek universe and went on to explain what drives the character. “What’s interesting about him is that he has a real beef with what the Enterprise stands for. Krall’s a character who’s deeply steeped in hatred — in my opinion, a well-earned hatred — for the Federation. It felt quite political. There’s a relatability to what’s happening in our world. Not everybody’s happy with what everybody calls the good guys.
“There’s some history that we explore, to understand why he feels the frontier needs to push back. There’s definitely an opposing argument to the good that the Federation think they do. There are purists that believe in independence, and believe that we’re all made differently for a reason, and will fight tooth and nail to defend that. There’s massive relatability to modern world politics in that sense.”
But as a being, “Krall is predatory,” said Elba. “He’s not one for big speeches. He is one for going to get what he wants. If that means having to do it himself, outside of his army, he is not afraid to do that.”
Don’t look for Krall to return in another Trek film after this one. “I can’t imagine at this point what else could happen for this character,” said Elba. “I think, after this film, you don’t want me to return.”
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