Engage with Exclusive Interviews from the Enterprise Crew
November 20, 2025
Straight from the Enterprise Crew to you!
Check out the fascinating interviews withConnor Trinneer, John Billingsley, and Anthony Montgomery.
Hear their thoughts on the 60th anniversary of the franchise, their place in the Star Trek universe, and more.
We’ll be celebrating 60 years of Star Trek on the 2026 cruise. When you think about your place in the amazing franchise’s history, how do you feel?
Connor Trinneer: I take such pride in being a part of the Star Trek franchise! It has been the honor of my professional life to have played Trip on Enterprise. I have met extraordinary people all over the world.
John Billingsley: An admixture of feelings. Disbelief, upon occasion. Vast amusement. Pride. Mostly it can be summed up in a simple way: ‘Damn, if I ain’t a lucky son of a bitch’…
Anthony Montgomery:I get asked that question a lot. And the best answer is my memoir, LifeTrek: From Naptown to Red Carpets, was written. Two chapters are dedicated to the Star Trek universe and all the wonderful fans. I share my journey into our incredible franchise, thoughts and feelings about my place in it and my perspective on some of the episodes. Below is a snippet:
“I was excited and nervous. I was also in the wrong headspace. I should’ve been focused on the work but deep down I wanted to “get it right.” Looking at my helm, I knew there were some outstanding and talented people who held the position before me, including George Takei (Hikaru Sulu) and Robbie Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris), who are two of my favorite helmsmen–George because he was fantastic as the originator and Robbie because his character was so layered and so much fun. But more than my respect and admiration for my predecessors, I was carrying a torch so much greater than that of a helmsman. I carried with me the legacy of the Black culture as the next African American in space within the Star Trek lore, behind the iconic Nichelle Nichols, Alfre Woodard, Avery Brooks, Cirroc Lofton, Whoopi Goldberg, Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Tim Russ, (Michael and Tim played aliens, but you get the point) and so many more. The legacy of a people constantly fighting for their right to simply exist.” “I was honored to take on that mantle.”
If you’d like to learn more about my Star Trek experience, get your copy of LifeTrek today. Available on Amazon: eBook (Kindle) or hardcover and paperback (Print-on-Demand). Thanks for the support!
How do you view the impact Star Trek has had on pop culture and the world? What impact has Star Trek had on you personally?
Connor Trinneer:Star Trek‘s impact has been immeasurable. Its message lives in the hearts and minds of so many people all over the world. Star Trek changed every aspect of my life in such a positive, dynamic way.
John Billingsley:My respect for the way Trek’s core values influence our culture and the lives of so many lovely people–educators, scientists, people who have dedicated themselves to serving humanity–has grown over the years.
Trek has given me the opportunity to echo its progressive and humanist values in my speech and conduct. I relish the platform that Trek has given me to raise awareness (and moolah) for causes I support: wowza, such a completely unexpected and delightful surprise.
Anthony Montgomery: I think it’s phenomenal, but not surprising, that Star Trek’s worldwide support and engagement continues. Pop culture has always celebrated things that are cool, exciting and enduring. Star Trek is a prime example of what people love about pop culture. Star Trek is cool. People love Vulcans and dressing up like different aliens. Star Trek is exciting. Who doesn’t love a good space battle or starship chase hyper-speed? And with 60 years of entertainment and reach around the globe (with no end in sight), Star Trek is undeniably enduring, now and forever. Adding the fact that there are many technologies that have been created for Star Trek that were actually developed to benefit the real world–one of the biggest being the cell phone (a communicator in The Original Series)–and I think people understand and acknowledge that Star Trek is not only cool, exciting and enduring, but it has always inspired us to make the world a better place.
The impact that Star Trek has had on me personally…Star Trek changed my life. It gives me a very special closeness to every single person who loves Star Trek, everyone who has ever heard of Star Trek and remembers it with respect and admiration. It gives me kinship with people everywhere who support Gene Roddenberry’s vision. They believe in a future where all humanity is embraced, celebrated and loved for both its similarities and its differences. It gives me a bigger sense of responsibility that I never anticipated when I went in for the audition. I’m blessed and humbled to be a part of this tradition.
“My greatest honors in being part of such a famed franchise come when I hear from military service men and women about how much our series means to them and how instrumental it has been in getting them through rough times at war, or just being stationed away from their families. It was my greatest privilege to be able to bring some sense of comfort to all the people who gave their time, dedication and/or lives to allow me and all of us the freedoms we get to experience being citizens of the United States. And because the massive appeal of Star Trek goes beyond the borders of the U.S., I feel a special connection with all the Trekkies around the world.”
In what ways are you similar to your character and how are you different?
Connor Trinneer (Charles “Trip” Tucker III): I played Trip. We are very similar. I’ve been rewatching our series and I find myself surprised at how often his responses mirror what mine would have been. Playing him felt seamless.
John Billingsley (Doctor Phil Phlox):I play Doctor Phil “No Dirty Forceps” Phlox. I’m different from Phil in that he’s got a gargantuan brain, whereas I need two spotters and an instruction manual to change a light bulb. I like to think that Phil and I share a similar sense of humor; that we both share a sense of bemusement about the absurdities of the human condition, but that we still have enough compassion to not be too too Buddha-y about everything–Phil always valued firm and direct action, his philosophical detachment never led him to say ‘screw this, I’ll just backdoor the hell out of Dodge, we’re all doomed anyway’. Phil had a deep appreciation and understanding, born of a long life well lived, of what he valued and believed in, and he put those values into his daily practice of living, in spite of whether they made any sense at all to others. He didn’t give a damn what other people thought. Pretty much me, too.
Anthony Montgomery (Ensign Travis Mayweather): “Despite the fact that my character was born and raised in space, I made a decision to play Travis as someone who was still excited about the adventures that he embarked on as a member of Starfleet. I didn’t want him to be a “perfect” human. I wanted to show his experience but still show his flaws to keep him relatable.”
There are a lot of similarities between me and Travis, especially our motivation to explore the unknown, despite our backgrounds. Travis was driven to move beyond his home on his family’s cargo ship and follow his dream of joining Starfleet. I was driven to discover what was out there in the world that was different from the life I knew in Indianapolis. We both kept a cautiously optimistic outlook, which allowed us to stay positive, move forward and grow from every new challenge. Our main difference is that with Travis being raised on a cargo ship, he’s very adept at dealing with the chaos of space. I don’t know if I would ever want to live in space for real. As much of an adventurer as I am, I’m going to be cautious about the different risks I take. Unlike the world of Star Trek, where Travis can rely on the support of Starfleet or his family to fix a problem, in the real world you don’t get a reset. I may not take the chance in real life, but the desire to explore and eternal optimism will always keep me and Travis more alike than we are different.
You are joining an amazing Star Trek crew onboard in 2026, who are you most excited to see?
Connor Trinneer:One of the amazing things about the cruise is that we (the actors) get to reconnect with one another for a whole week! I’m thrilled that so many of my cast mates will be aboard as we celebrate not only Star Trek‘s 60th Anniversary but Enterprise‘s 25th!
John Billingsley: Depends. Is Frakes in this year’s swimsuit competition? Ask me who I most want to have a drink with…! (*I love them all).
Anthony Montgomery: All the Star Trek crew are my family, so I’m excited to sail with all of them. And I always have a blast with our fans. I know we’re going to party hard and have a fantastic 60th anniversary celebration on the next Un-Conventional Voyage!