exist Star Wars: Lower DecksLieutenant T’Lyn (Gabriel Ruiz) is the most recent addition to the crew. However, she quickly won Star Trek over after her debut in Season 2’s “Wej Duj,” and our ratings of her have been rising ever since.
Comics Beat had the pleasure of interviewing Ruiz via Zoom to learn more about her experience Voicing the Vulcan science intern in the animated comedy. We asked her how she sees her personality compared to T’Lyn, the hardest aspect of “Vulcan delivery” to pinpoint, and how her lifelong relationship with the franchise affects her performance.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
AVERY KAPLAN: Several of your fellow Lower Deckers have commented on how similar they are to their characters. I’m curious if you feel your personality is similar to T’Lyn’s?
Gabriel Ruiz: Well, I can’t play an instrument, but I’m also very musically gifted. I think Vulcans are very artistic. They are engaged in performing arts and are very talented in it. I come from a Broadway background and I think precision, accuracy and passion have a lot to do with that. I feel like I can have the reputation of being a Vulcan.
Being the upstanding person in the group, the one who says, “Oh, you’re kidding,” is the majority of my sister. To this day, my sister sometimes still doesn’t understand that I’m joking. She said, “Oh. You’re kidding me.
So it’s a mix: My sister and I are both T’Lyn.
KAPLAN: What was the recording process like for you? Do you go to the studio?
Ruiz: Yeah, I went into the studio from the very beginning. I’ve had moments like this: the producer or Mike McMahan They helped me take notes through the glass window.
But a lot of it is on Zoom and everyone is where they are. We record one to three episodes in four hours. Because we record our own lines: we don’t see the actual length of the script on the fly. So if T’Lyn has 3 lines, or 30 or 300 lines, we just go through the bookends and understand which lines happen where.
I also have a great producer. Brad Wintershe walked me through the whole set and said, “This is what’s going on.” He would give me lines before, and I would do him three to five takes, and I would giggle every time. But you can’t hear that part.
KAPLAN: Was there ever a “Vulcan delivery” that required special effort to complete?
Ruiz: Some of the scientific terms they gave me… As a voice actor, we have this problem because technically I don’t remember anything.
But sometimes the phonetics of things need to sound Vulcan and be correct…I’d go on YouTube just to hear the word; what’s the stress on the right syllable. Arranging the words in the correct order in Vulcan style can be a challenge.
It’s a double whammy. But again, some of my former Vulcan colleagues have to remember this stuff too! At least I got some shots that really focused on it.
KAPLAN: Have you had any particularly memorable experiences on Star Wars since taking on the role of T’Lyn?
Ruiz: The first time I saw someone playing T’Lyn, I put her down and hugged her and she nearly fell over. I’m very human about it, I’m definitely not a Vulcan.
This is in StarCraft While cruising, I saw her, I sat her down and bought her a beer. I was like, “I’m a fan! Thank you for the love! I hope she doesn’t think I’m crazy. It was a funny moment.”
On the downside, as I sat at the table, there was a picture of T’Lyn behind me. Because you can’t know me through Gabriel’s face, you can know me through Trin’s face. The moment they realized it was me, I was so excited. Because then they would rush to the table and we would have kiki about T’Lyn. I enjoyed every minute of it.
KAPLAN: In addition to T’Lyn, you also play Lieutenant Lemonts and Lieutenant Jr. Grade Castro, both of whom are human. Is there any more? StarCraft What exotic species are you eager to add to your repertoire in the future?
Ruiz: I want to be a computer. This could be season one lower deck I had a computer cord in there and I was like, “I made it!” So if I could on any other computer StarCraft future. I don’t care about the pay: I’ll be your computer.
Caplan: Would you be interested in playing T’Lyn in a live-action version?
Ruiz: You know, fans came to me when they were against it and told me I could make it. So if they think I can do it, I’d love to do it.
I once had a short bob for a Broadway show. I think I could rock that bob. Yes, I would love to wear my ears. (Alatlin:) This will be amazing.
Kaplan: Would you be interested in reprising the role of T’Lyn in animation?
Ruiz: I mean, what kind of question is this? certainly. Absolutely. There is no doubt about it. I’d love to pass on my T’Lyn vibes to anyone who wants to listen to her, love her and have her in their scenes.
I hope people understand how grateful I am to be a part of StarCraft universe. My mom is a StarCraft warrior and I grew up with it StarCraft: The Next Generation. The moment I called her and told her what had happened, we were so excited together. So, I’m happy to.
Kaplan: As you mentioned, your mother was a StarCraft warrior. How did your long relationship with the series influence your portrayal of T’Lyn?
Ruiz: The effect is that, from the beginning of the audition, correctness is important. This is accurate. This is honorable to the Vulcans, and Leonard Nimoy.
Nimoy took the matter seriously from the start. He knew that while Vulcan was fun, creating this world, this universe, this culture was important and I had a responsibility to continue it. It affected me deeply. I take it really seriously.
The fact that I get to do that in comedy is a real bonus. For being so serious and so stoic and having that core four and everybody Cerritos So vibrant, energetic, fun, loud… I love the way I put it down and deadpan. Because that makes them more interesting in a way.
Kaplan: What would you personally order from a food replicator?
Ruiz: I mean, I’m now a mother of two kids under the age of four. Honestly, any hit that doesn’t require me to do it sounds great.
I like burgers and fries, and I might order a beer. No one talks to me. No one tried to share my food. This is exactly what I’m going to order.
new episodes Star Wars: Lower Decks Available to watch Thursday on Paramount+.
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