MUDD’S
RAINN
An undoubted highlight of the first season
of Star Trek: Discovery was Rainn Wilson’s
turn as incorrigible galactic rogue Harry
Mudd. Building on Roger C. Carmel’s iconic
original series portrayal, Wilson also got
the chance to direct himself as Mudd in a
Short Trek – and given half a chance, he’d
happily continue his reign as Harry.WORDS: IAN SPELLING“I
’m about the biggest sci-fi
fan that you could imagine,
because my dad was a science
fi ction writer,” explains Rainn Wilson,
referring to author Robert Wilson,
who wrote 1978 pulp SF novel
Tentacles of Dawn. “So, I grew up
with it. We read science fi ction all the
time. I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey
when I was maybe four years old,
and that blew my mind.”
And, yes, confi rms the versatile
actor – who has a recurring role on
Star Trek: Discovery as Harcourt
Fenton Mudd – Star Trek entered
his orbit at an early age. He’d arrive
home from school, plop down on
the couch, and watch Kirk, Spock,
McCoy, and the rest of the U.S.S.
Enterprise crew in action via reruns
of the original series. Even better, his
local television station aired Star Trek
reruns repeatedly on weekends.RAINN WILSON