Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a sci-fi TV show that first premiered on Paramount+ on January 15, 2026, with its first two episodes.Four episodes of the show have been released. Episode 5 is scheduled to be released this coming Thursday. The season finale is set to release on March 12, 2026. Karim Diané, who plays Jay-Den Kraag in this show, sat for an interview with ScreenRant where he explained his process of playing his role. Diané said, in part,"So I just gave it a go, and I felt so liberated afterward."Diané recalled filming a few shots and asked whether he should let go or push it. Jay-Den is the central character of the story. He is a full-blooded Klingon from the House of Kraag.Continue reading to know more about Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.Karim Diané talks about playing Klingon Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy View this post on Instagram Instagram PostOn January 30, 2026, Karim Diané spoke with Screen Rant about his role as Jay-Den Kraag in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. During the interview, he discussed his character subversion. He said that his character breaks from the traditional Klingon warrior archetype as he plays a pacifist student who is pursuing a career as a medical officer. He also said,"And huge props to Doug [Aarniokoski], who was our director. I remember the one scene where I'm having an argument with Caleb in the lab. We did a couple of takes, and then he just kind of came back, and he was like, ‘Hey, all right, on this next one. Just like, should I lose it? Should I go crazy? Like, like, really go nuts?’ And I was in my mind, trying to figure [that] out.""Me as Karim, I know how to go crazy, but me as Jay-Den down here [doing the voice], I'm like, ‘What does that even sound like? How do I do that?’ So I just gave it a go, and I felt so liberated afterward. And after that moment, that led me into the rest of the episode, where I was like, okay, I can actually add levels to the voice, but also, I can add more emotion. And I really learned how to set and just be free as his character."In the interview, he also said that he participated in a joint interview with Michael Dorn. Dorn played Worf in this series. He received advice from him on how to handle the cultural and physical expectations of playing Kraag.Jay-Den Kraag: The lead cadet of Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyIn the Star Trek series, Jay-Den Kraag is the male Klingon Starfleet captain in the 32nd century. He belongs to the House of Kraag, the only son of L'vanna. According to the plot of the show, the Burn pushed the Klingons close to extinction, and Den's family became refugees. At the camps, his parents sang him and his brother, Thar, to sleep with Kahless the Unforgettable stories.In season 1, episode 4, titled Vox in Excelso, Diané delivered his best performance to date. His fans are waiting for him in the upcoming Thursday episode. In episode 4, the moment when Den addresses a room of Klingons to resolve a diplomatic deadlock captivated the viewers.Follow Soap Central for more updates on Star Trek: Starfleet.