Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Casts Paul Giamatti As The Villain

Earlier this month, veteran actor Paul Giamatti was attached to a TV series based on Eli Roth's Hostel films. But that's not his only upcoming role in television. The actor has also signed on to Paramount+'s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series as the show's main villain.

Via Variety, Giamatti will appear on a recurring basis throughout Starfleet Academy Season 1. No further details were revealed about his character except for the fact that he will have "a sinister connection to the past of one of the cadets."

Giamatti's previous film credits include American Splendor, Sideways, The Illusionist, Cinderella Man, Straight Outta Compton, and The Holdovers. He also had a brief cameo as the Rhino in Amazing Spider-Man 2. On television, Giamatti won an Emmy for his performance in the title role of HBO's John Adams miniseries, and he has lent his voice to Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman, and Big Mouth.

"Sometimes you're lucky enough to discover that one of the greatest actors alive is also a huge Star Trek fan, and meeting Paul was one of those miraculous moments for us," said Starfleet Academy showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau in a statement. "The sheer delight with which he dove in on Starfleet Academy is only surpassed by the gratitude we feel about him joining our incredible cast."

Most of the cast of Starfleet Academy's cadets will be filled by new and upcoming actors. Holly Hunter was cast last month as the captain and chancellor for the Academy.

Paramount+ hasn't set a premiere date for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy yet.

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