If you watched the first new “Star Trek” movie in almost a decade and came away thinking about how you need To see more than one particularly goofy cameloid, you’re not alone. The film crew and “Star Trek” fans are also unanimously fond of Quasi, the nerdy shapeshifting character played by Sam Richardson in the new Paramount+ film “Star Trek: Section 31.”
Quasi makes a good impression from his initial introduction, in which he reveals himself to be a laid-back genius with a gift for babbling when he’s nervous (as he is around Michelle Yeoh’s super-hot, super-deadly Mirror Universe, Philippa Georgiou ). Quasi is introduced as a supporting member of the Section 31 team, but he’s endearing, entertaining, and capable enough to be a leading man — or, at the very least, a beloved scene-stealer filling a role similar to that of Scotty or Chekov within the team. together. The film’s script gives Richardson some of his best lines, but I think the actor deserves a lot of credit as well; it does a lot with a little and leaves viewers hoping to see Almost again soon. That’s fitting for one of the most enjoyable comedic actors working on television today.
Sam Richardson appeared in some of the best comedies of the 2010s
If you’ve watched new movies and shows in the last 15 years, you’ve probably seen Sam Richardson’s work. The Michigan-born actor’s on-screen career began in the 2000s, but he had several notable roles starting in the early 2010s. Richardson played one of Jim Halpert’s college friends (and co-founder of his start-up Athlead from season 9) on “The Office”, and appeared as a TSA agent in an episode of “Arrested Development” and Jason Sudeikis. directed comedy “We’re The Millers”. In HBO’s caustic satire “Veep,” Richardson plays Richard Splett, the ascendantly struggling assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina who eventually stumbles into positions of power in the show’s final seasons. He is also one of the masterminds behind the short-lived but acclaimed Comedy Central sitcom “Detroiters,” which he co-created, executive produced, co-wrote and starred in.
“Veep” and “Detroiters” may have put Richardson on the map, but his appearances on the Apple TV+ shows “Ted Lasso” and “The Afterparty” have made him a comedy staple in recent years. In the first, Richardson plays Edwin Akufo, the rich, intense Ghanaian who tries to convince Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) to join the team he’s building. In the latter, he is the series’ protagonist, a funny and agitated suspect in a murder mystery that takes place at his high school reunion. If none of that means anything to you, well, Richardson has a whole host of other impressive credits under his belt, from voice work on “Bojack Horseman,” “Harley Quinn” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” to guest appearances in films like “Spy,” “Ghostbusters,” “Promising Young Woman” and “Hocus Pocus 2.”
Star Trek fans have heard Richardson’s voice before
Like so many great actors who have stepped onto the deck of a spaceship before him (we salute you, Jeffrey Combs!), Sam Richardson has also appeared in more than one “Star Trek” project. Before playing Quasi, he actually had a role in the adult animated comedy “Star Trek: Lower Decks”, appearing in an episode in season 1 and another in season 3. In the series, he played Vendôme, a member of the Blue Crest. -exotic species confronted with the Bolians. Although Vendôme didn’t have many lines (he appeared in more than two episodes, but was a silent background character in several), he was a lesser-known Lower Decker with a full (albeit simple) backstory that gave him was clean.
Vendôme first appears at the start of the series’ first season and is transfixed by the Gelrakians when he accidentally gives them a fertility statue as a gesture of goodwill instead of an “honor crystal” kept from the Starfleet’s first contact mission. However, the confusion is not really his fault, and Vendôme survives it, going on several more away missions in subsequent episodes. Hilariously, Vendôme has more in common with Richardson’s ladder-climbing “Veep” character than with his “Section 31” anti-hero, as he later becomes captain of the California-class USS Inglewood after his former captain was accidentally turned into a baby. Boimler (Jack Quaid) initially thinks that Vendôme’s promotion is unfair, but eventually realizes that he worked hard to achieve it. The alien is seen equipping his crew with Bolians and even shows up to support the Cerritos’ mission in the season 3 finale.
Where do you know Sam Richardson from? With the release of “Star Trek: Section 31,” which is now on Paramount+, we can now say with certainty that he is known for playing wholesome, underutilized “Star Trek” characters.
