Star Trek actor says he was ‘scared’ to play first out gay Klingon in moving post
Karim Diané plays Jay-Den Kraag (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Paramount+ | Instagram/team_karim)
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy actor Karim Diané has shared that he was “scared” about playing the first out gay Klingon character – Starfleet cadet Jay-Den Kraag – in the Star Trek franchise.
Posting to his Instagram account on 19 February, Diané said of the role: “I won’t pretend that I wasn’t scared to take on this role. Part of me still is. Not because of the character himself, but because I knew the reaction that could come with it.”
He said that he knew there would be people who would “blur the line” between the character and Diané as an actor. He said that much of the response would be “rooted in homophobia, racism, bigotry”, which he knew would put him in the firing line.
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He continued: “But what matters more is this: over the past few weeks since this show premiered, I’ve received countless messages from LGBTQ+ people around the world… people who feel seen, validated, and inspired by Jay-Den. Those messages outweigh every bit of negativity. Every single time.”
Diané went on to highlight Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for his vision for the future. “He imagined a future that expanded who gets to be seen, heard, and valued,” he said. “A future where diversity isn’t merely tolerated, but celebrated. Jay-Den doesn’t exist outside of that tradition. He exists because of it. ‘Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations’ isn’t just a catchy phrase Roddenberry tossed around. I believe he truly meant it.”
The actor received a lot of love from followers for his words.
“It’s a wonderful character and I’m glad it’s being played by someone who understands the context within and out of Trek and has lived experience to back it up,” one user said in the comment. “New Star Trek has always received flack when first released… if only certain people remembered that about their old favourites.”
Another said: “You are a wonderful welcome addition to this franchise. Thank you for sharing your passion and your artistry with Star Trek. Thank you for being brave. Jay-Den is incredible and so are you.”
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