Iconic Star Trek Actor Praises Franchise’s Next Show: “Knocked On My Holographic Butt”

Robert Picardo has revealed how impressed he is by Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The upcoming show is set to focus on young cadets and their teachers, including the academy's chancellor, Captain Nahla Ake, who is portrayed by Holly Hunter. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reportedly will be available to stream on Paramount+ sometime in early 2026.

Picardo was a member of Star Trek: Voyager's cast as The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) who developed from a brash, no-nonsense program to a beloved member of the crew. After Star Trek: Voyager's ending aired, Picardo went on to appear in episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy, and he joined the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Picardo commented on Facebook about his reaction to the series after getting to see episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. First off, Picardo expressed how impressed he was by how the show turned out. Then, Picardo wrote about how proud he is to be part of the show and the Star Trek franchise. Check out Picardo's comments below:

Saw a screening of our @startrek #starfleetacademy pilot tonight and was knocked on my holographic butt. Wow. Can't wait until @startrekonpplus will share it with the universe early 2026 and proud that we will be part of the 60th anniversary celebration of Gene Roddenberry 's optimistic vision of humanity's future in space.

What This Means For Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

For any Star Trek fan who is excited about the upcoming show that will be the latest chapter in the beloved franchise, Picardo's remarks will likely be exciting. Considering Picardo's first appearance in the franchise, Star Trek: Voyager season 1, episode 1, "Caretaker," aired more than three decades ago, he has a vast amount of experience in the Star Trek franchise.

Still, it would make perfect sense if any observers were skeptical of Picardo's remarks. As Picardo is a member of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy's cast, he would likely never make disparaging remarks ahead of its release. Picardo's comments will hold a lot of value to the fan base, as he is a significant legacy character who is returning to live-action.

Our Take On Picardo's Comments About Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

During Picardo's career, the actor has been incredibly successful. In fact, a look at Picardo's IMDb page shows that he is an extremely active actor who regularly pops up in movies and TV shows. Partially for that reason, I am taking Picardo's comments about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy seriously.

When actors promote an upcoming movie or TV show, they aren't likely to be negative about the project. However, actors who have successful careers often choose to be reserved with their praise. For example, successful actors can choose to make comments about how great their co-stars or the project's director was, instead of saying the show or movie is great.

If Picardo was disappointed by what he saw in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, he could have held back. Instead, Picardo chose to unreservedly praise Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Given the strength of his career, I believe that Picardo is at least being sincere with his praise for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.