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From Melbourne to the final frontier, Zo\u00eb Steiner is having a major moment. Stepping into the next chapter of the Star Trek<\/em> universe as part of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy<\/em>, which debuted mid-January on Paramount+, the rising star is already signed on for Season 2\u2014and she\u2019s not stopping there.<\/p>\n Playing one of the franchise\u2019s newest cadets alongside Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter, Steiner brings fresh energy to the iconic series, already fueled by a Comic Con\u2013premiered trailer that\u2019s racked up more than 7.8 million views in just weeks. She recently chatted with us during a break from filming in Toronto to talk about her on- and off-set routines\u2014and what it feels like to take on \u201cTrekkie duty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels really good! We all worked really hard. We wrapped Season 1 a full year ago, and it\u2019s finally out. It feels really nice to have our work out in the world and to be getting some really nice feedback from original Trek<\/em> fans, as well as some newer viewers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot! I wasn\u2019t a big Star Trek <\/em>person before. For whatever reason, I hadn\u2019t watched it previously. I think for a lot of us, Holly included\u2014and for a lot of fans\u2014it seems like they were introduced to it as kids. And, oftentimes, the story trickled down from their dad. That wasn\u2019t the case with me. I was definitely, of course, familiar with Star Trek<\/em> itself. I had the image in my mind of Leonard Nimoy as Spock and the Vulcan salute. But, to be honest, not much more than that. Obviously, once I got cast, I really felt a duty to delve into it.<\/p>\n For me, specifically, I was interested in seeing the next gen and seeing Deanna Troi, another Betazoid. Even then, Tarima is a different type of Betazoid. I definitely wanted to go back and watch it, but it didn\u2019t necessarily inform my acting choices or anything really at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s such a good question. Honestly, costuming really helped me. I remember my first fitting for the red outfit Tarima wears at the Betazoid cocktail party. That really helped me. It got me in touch with her status as the president\u2019s daughter. <\/p>\n As an actor, I always find it hard to answer this question. There are some different rituals I do\u2014even journaling helped me drop in. It\u2019s going to sound a bit cheesy, but playing a telepathic and empathic character, that was really important to me. It was important to me to do things in my daily life that kept me grounded, so I could show up and really be in my body and not too up in the clouds.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne second. Let me go to my bathroom! Makeup-wise, since I was literally a teen, I\u2019ve always loved the Lanc\u00f4me Hypnose mascara. It\u2019s my favorite mascara. When I was in New York for the premiere, my makeup artist used this Stila Heaven\u2019s Hue highlighter in Opulence. I love cool tones. Anything cool-toned works best for me.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got my Sun Bum mineral sunscreen, and I finally started using a retinol! The one I use has medical, dermatological vibes going on here. It\u2019s helped me so much. I have extremely sensitive skin, and it was able to quite seamlessly get integrated into the routine. It didn\u2019t irritate or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m here in Toronto, and we\u2019ve got a bit under a month left. We\u2019re in the home stretch. That\u2019s what\u2019s right in front of me\u2014wrapping up Season 2. We\u2019re just about to start filming episode 10. Then, I\u2019m not so sure. I have very open plans. When I left to film this season\u2014when I left Melbourne, where I\u2019m from\u2014I moved out of the place I was renting. So I don\u2019t technically have a residence. It\u2019s a good question\u2026 I\u2019m not sure. Maybe I\u2019ll move to New York, maybe I\u2019ll go traveling. I like having it open.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nHow are you feeling right now as the show finally comes out after months of buzz?<\/h2>\n
Were you a Trekkie before? How did you get yourself up to speed with the whole world? <\/h2>\n
While filming, what helped you get into character? How did you drop into it?<\/h2>\n
Since we are a beauty magazine, I have to ask, are there any products you really love right now, or any sunscreens from Australia you can recommend?<\/h2>\n
That\u2019s key. Word on the street is you\u2019re already filming Season 2. How is that going?<\/h2>\n