For five seasons, Doug Jones has played Star Trek's first Kelpien, Saru, and done a bang-up job with the role. I'd rank the character my favorite of the new era of shows, and he's definitely in the conversation of one of the best Star Trek characters of all time. This is thanks, no doubt, to Jones' long history of acclaimed work as a character actor and someone who has spent most of his career in prosthetics. As the actor ages, though, what are his plans for these roles going forward?
I had the great opportunity to speak to Doug Jones about his plans post-Saru, ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5. The actor has hinted before that after the role was done, he'd be potentially retiring or stepping away from doing roles that involve heavy prosthetic work. So, when I asked him if that was still the case, he said the following:
You are very intuitive. Yes. I'm pursuing more human characters now and they've been coming. So I'm really tickled about that. You know, you come to a certain point where it's like, I think I've played every species, every hybrid known to man. And yeah, I'd like to play this guy. I wonder what he can do on film.
It looks like after Star Trek: Discovery, we can expect to see Doug Jones prioritize roles using his actual face and not one that requires hours of makeup to achieve. Readers who have watched What We Do In The Shadows actor might've seen this already, as he played the vampire Baron Afanas, who we've seen revert back to his normal form. It appears we will see more of Jones in those roles going forward rather than some of the iconic characters he's played over the years.
It's big news, to be sure, considering the legacy Jones has as a creature actor. As Saru, fans watched him transform his character, leaving behind his anxious feelings and becoming a strong and capable captain in later seasons. He was so beloved as Abe Sapien in Hellboy that he almost had a cameo in the reboot, and who can forget his role as Amphibian Man in the Oscar-winning movie The Shape Of Water?
Those who don't have a Paramount+ subscription ahead of Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 better get one because it might be one of Doug Jones' last performances in prosthesis. Many might also want to see the crew's final adventure, which I likened a lot to Voyager. I'm also very interested in the ending, which Jones said gave him closure over the series' unexpected cancellation. Hopefully other fans feel the same way and it gives us all a reason to be excited about upcoming Star Trek shows.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 kicks off on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on Thursday, April 4th. Tune in to see the possible last ride with the crew, and to potentially get a glimpse of what's in store for the future.
