The third season of Star Trek: Discovery is “coming soon,” but we still don’t know a lot about it. In a new interview, actor Wilson Cruz offers a glimpse of where we will see his character, Dr. Hugh Culber, as the crew of the USS Discovery finds themselves in the far future.

Cruz: Culber is a better doctor in S3

On Variety’s latest The Big Ticket podcast, host Marc Malkin spoke to Wilson Cruz about his new Apple TV Plus documentary series Visible: Out on Television, and the wide-ranging discussion of Cruz’s career also turned to his time on Discovery.

We just finished season three. I actually get to do a lot more doctoring this season. And they have given me this really epic storyline. This is a man who falls in love and is in a great relationship and is killed and comes back to life and is a better doctor now because of it. It’s a great part. It’s maybe the best part I have had.

Studio needed assurance Cruz could look the part

Cruz also talks about how he had always dreamed of being on Star Trek and actively pursued the role which eventually went to Anthony Rapp. He was happy to find out that there was still a possible role for him playing Rapp’s partner, Dr. Culber. Seeing how he and Rapp were old friends, the studio didn’t feel they needed to do a “chemistry test” with the pair. Cruz explains:

I think the reason why we work [as a couple] is that we use our actual friendship and love for each other as a foundation. It feels familiar and it feels like these people have been together for a long time.

However, Cruz revealed the studio did still have a concern before casting him:

Once they cast Anthony I thought that was it, that was my chance. That was the one gay character. I didn’t know they were going to have two! [laughs]. But it was pretty seamless. I had to put myself on tape…for the studio. They were more worried about if I looked old enough to be the doctor on Star Trek. So, I guess I just let myself look haggard that day. [laughs]

For the record, Wilson Cruz was 43 years old in 2017 when Star Trek: Discovery premiered.

Listen to full Cruz interview

You can listen to Cruz on Variety’s The Big Ticket below.

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