Who Plays Obel Wochak In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?
This article contains spoilers for "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" season 1, episode 4 — "Vox in Excelsa."
Klingons are front and center in the wonderful "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," specifically season 1, episode 4, "Vox in Excelsa" (or, rather, what's left of the once-proud warriors). This particular "Star Trek" show takes place after the Burn, a major event in "Star Trek" history that hit the Klingons so hard that their very existence was left under severe threat. And while the Federation attempts to help its former enemies by providing them with a new home world, Klingon customs end up getting in the way. Indeed, since the planet of Faan Alpha hasn't been taken by force, the Klingons can't possibly accept it.
Fortunately, Chancellor Ake (Oscar winner Holly Hunter, who recently revealed to /Film's Jacob Hall why Ake always sits like that) and Klingon cadet Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané) have the keys to a solution: Together with Ake's ex, Klingon General Obel Wochak, the Federation stages a mock battle that Obel "wins" in order to formally conquer Faan Alpha.
Since Obel is Ake's old flame, and Ake herself is an ancient and powerful individual, the role of the Klingon general requires a very special presence. Fortunately, actor David Keeley does a great job with the part, creating a fresh Klingon character who I, for one, wouldn't mind seeing again.
Starfleet Academy's David Keeley has been around the block
David Keeley is something of a journeyman actor, but his dozens of TV and movie credits show that he has what it takes to get the job done in virtually any genre. Apart from two filmed Stratford Festival Gilbert & Sullivan musical adaptations from the mid-1980s, he scored his first screen credit in 1990. Since then, he's lived the classic guest star actor life — a guest role here, a recurring character there, and the occasional movie role to switch things up.
One of Keeley's first notable roles came in 1996, back when he played the recurring character Rick Forsythe in four episodes of the special effects themed TV crime drama "F/X: The Series." Then, in 2004, he portrayed Agent Evan Anderson in Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate" remake, appearing part of a star-studded cast that included Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Jeffrey Wright, and Liev Schreiber. After that, he showed up as Sergeant Byrnes in five episodes of the period police drama "Copper" and did one-off episode turns on shows like "Warehouse 13," "Designated Survivor," "Total Recall 2070," and "Suits" (along with a two-episode stint on "Murdoch Mysteries," as seen above).
In other words, "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is far from Keeley's first science fiction rodeo. His impressive turn as Obel Wochak makes me hope that it won't be the last, either.
"Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" season 1 is streaming on Paramount+.