As reported yesterday, Star Trek: Discovery actor Wilson Cruz has been doing Instagram Livestreams to connect with fans. He held one yesterday, this time joined remotely from New York by co-star Anthony Rapp. The pair talked about how the coronavirus lockdown is affecting them and answered fan questions, including some about Discovery.

They noted that they are doing what they can via social media to share the best information they can and help when they can. They took the time out to wish a fan happy birthday and offered advice on how people can keep their spirits up and cope. Anthony even did a little singing by request. Wilson shared that as he lives alone, reaching out with these chats has been helpful for him to cope with the isolation.

Disco cast hunkered down and safe

The pair started things off by relaying some info about the rest of the Discovery cast:

Wilson Cruz: We just got off a nice group Zoom with all of Star Trek: Discovery family. They send their love. Everyone is doing well, we are happy to report. They are all safe and hunkered down in their homes and in good spirits and thinking about all of us.

On a personal note, Rapp said that things in New York City are “really locked down” due to the sheer amount of cases in the city, but he and his fiancé were prepared and are stocked up. Rapp and boyfriend Ken Ithiphol were set to have their wedding in mid-August. Responding to a fan inquiry about his plans, Rapp said they were in a “holding pattern” and will decide by mid-May if they will stick with their original wedding plan.

Season 3 themes prescient to issues of today

In answering a fan question about balancing creativity and audience expectations, the pair got into talking about how their work can tie into events of the day, and how the upcoming season of Star Trek: Discovery has grown more relevant:

Anthony Rapp: Everything is political, whether it tries to or not, it is always making some sort of political statement. I am always reminded of Jonathan Larson who wrote Rent, he very intentionally was aware of the political messages in Rent and he leaned into that. Tony Kushner wrote Angels in America, incredibly aware of the political messages, and he leaned into that. I am not sure everyone is as aware of that and can be blind to it, but there is always something political. It is not like it should complicate or curtain a human story, but I think you should be aware of when you put something together what it presenting and what it is putting out in the world. Wilson Cruz: I think in terms of when we are actually working, I don’t thing that is at the forefront of our minds. But when we are reading it, when it is being developed, the [Discovery] writers and producers have been amazing at taking our input. I think we take great pride in what we are trying to put out there. I am really excited – I was excited before the pandemic about people seeing season three – but I am even more excited about season three, just because of the themes involved and about how healing it can be for people to watch. It’s prescient. It’s going to be very interesting to see what the effects of it are.

Pivotal emotional season 2 moment was tied together, literally with rope

One fan question related to Cruz’ return to Star Trek: Discovery and Culber’s return from the dead in the season two episode “Saints of Imperfection,” and asked what it was like shooting the emotional scene when Culber and Stamets were reunited with the ship halfway jammed into the mycelial network. The pair talked about what a big deal it was to finally bring Culber back, but also how challenging it can be to deliver an emotional performance with the logistics of a sci-fi show.

Anthony Rapp: That episode was bananapants. It was a very chaotic environment on set. There was so much happening. We had to imagine, like when you watch it you see that line of mycelial network, but that is not really there. So, there were all the logistics of the camera could be, where we could be, when we were through that line, where it is dangerous – there was a lot of coverage, it was bananas. So, it was really challenging to maintain focus. But, thankfully I have this man [Cruz] to work with, who is one of the most focused people I have ever work with. So, we have that to hold on to, to carry us through. Also, Kirsten Beyer – who was the writer of that episode – has always been so supportive and collaborative on set. Every episode we do, the writer of that episode or one of the writers from the [writers’] room is on set to help make sure what the intention was is being done. Wilson Cruz: The thing I remember most – yeah, there were so many emotional moments. There was a lot we needed to deal with in that episode. And I remember that moment…that scene we have to act as if not only what we are dealing with emotionally and with each other, but the fact that the ship is moving, and David [Barrett] the director wanted to us to seem we all moving in the same way. We were in the middle of that scene – that really beautiful emotional scene where I am telling you that you have to let me go and all of that – and I don’t want to have to think about all that jarring, so he tied us to ropes! We are doing the scene and he was literally tugging us, so we would move when he wanted us to move. That was not my favorite acting moment of my life.

The third season of Star Trek: Discovery wrapped filming in February and is currently in post-production. It is set to be released sometime this year but no official premiere date has been set. You can watch the NYCC 2019 trailer below.

Star Trek: Discovery is available exclusively in the USA on CBS All Access. It airs in Canada on the CTV Sci-Fi Channel (formerly called Space) and streams on CraveTV. It is available on Netflix everywhere else. The cast and crew are currently shooting season three.

Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.