Deidre Hall Talks Bringing Marlena to Space in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

For more than 50 years, Deidre Hall has been synonymous with Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives. Now, the daytime legend is stepping into another television universe as she makes a guest appearance on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Hall met with The Soap Scene to talk about the experience, how she felt about being part of the iconic franchise during its 60th anniversary year, and what impressed her most about her time aboard the USS Enterprise.

From Salem to a Strange New World

On September 3, Deidre Hall joins the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in the episode “Like Chronitons Through the Hourglass,” playing a therapist who helps Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) confront a long-buried loss.

“She is Marlena in space … in a fabulous outfit,” Hall said.

We asked Hall how the opportunity came about, and she explained that she was invited to appear on the series. When her agent called with the offer, her answer was immediate: “Absolutely, yes!”

Although Hall is now officially part of the Star Trek universe, she wasn’t unfamiliar with the franchise before stepping aboard the Enterprise. For Hall, appearing in Strange New Worlds wasn’t simply another acting job. She was getting to be part of a franchise she had known for decades — only this time she was on the other side of the screen.

Hall remembers watching the original Star Trek series and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) long before she ever imagined she would become part of the franchise herself. Now, she finds herself aboard the Enterprise during an era that predates Kirk’s time as captain.

Strange New Worlds is a prequel to the original Star Trek, following Captain Pike and his crew before Kirk eventually takes command of the Enterprise. For Hall, becoming part of that earlier chapter was particularly special.

Deidre Hall Has a Soft Spot for Toronto

Hall lives in Los Angeles, while Strange New Worlds is filmed in Toronto, but the location was hardly a hardship for her. In fact, she already had plenty of affection for the city. “I love Toronto,” Hall said.

Hall recalled an experience that perfectly captured her impression of the Canadian city and the people in it. One day while she was there filming, Hall got lost while out exploring and asked two young people on a street corner for directions. Rather than simply point her toward her hotel, they took their kindness a step further.

“They said, ‘Come on, we’ll walk you there,’” Hall recalled. They did exactly that, Hall laughed, because they knew she was likely to get even more lost on her own. It was one of the small moments that left Hall with an even greater fondness for Toronto, making her time filming there a little more enjoyable.

Impressed by Anson Mount

Hall felt soap fans would be especially interested in the episode’s content, but one of her favorite parts of the experience was working with Mount. In the scenes where Pike lets himself become vulnerable, Hall said she experienced the power of Mount’s performance firsthand. 

She explained that a particularly emotional scene wasn’t extensively rehearsed, which made watching him in the moment even more striking. Hall marveled at Mount’s ability to express himself and his method to get there.

“We blocked it, and then he stepped away,” Hall recalled. “He said, ‘Okay, I’ll be right back.’ And then he came back, and he sat down, and he just did it.”

They didn’t rehearse the scene several times, and Mount dove in as soon as he began. “He didn’t stop, couldn’t… and there it was,” Hall described. She found the performance beautiful and was impressed by how Mount stayed emotionally immersed throughout the scene. “He’s so wonderful in it,” she praised.

For Hall, it was also an opportunity to experience a very different kind of material from what she is accustomed to playing as Marlena. Her character’s role as a therapist gives her an opportunity to help Pike work through something deeply personal while bringing some of the qualities audiences have come to associate with Marlena into an entirely new setting.

The Enterprise Sets Made an Impression

Hall was also struck by the level of detail that went into creating the world of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. She recalled taking in the sets and being impressed by the attention paid to even the smallest details.

“The thrill, for me, was that we have a long walk, walking through the sets, and just the detail in every set,” Hall said. That attention to detail extended throughout the Enterprise, from the tables and chairs to the walls and decorative elements. 

“And then, of course, the costumes,” she said. “Oh, my gosh.” Hall was particularly enthusiastic about the wardrobe created for the series, praising costume designer Bernadette Croft and the work that went into creating the futuristic looks.

Between the sets and costumes, Hall found herself fully immersed in a world she had spent years watching from the other side of the television screen.

Two Very Different Fandoms Are Coming Together

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of Hall’s Star Trek experience has been knowing the reaction from fans of both franchises.

At first glance, Days of Our Lives and Star Trek might seem like two completely different television worlds. One is a long-running daytime soap opera centered on the lives of the residents of Salem, while the other follows the crew of the Enterprise as they explore the galaxy.

But both shows have extraordinarily devoted fan bases, and Hall was surprised by just how much overlap exists between them. “I’m amazed how many people were actually [fans of] both,” she said.

Hall has heard the excitement from fans who love both Days and Star Trek, particularly those who never expected to see one of daytime’s most recognizable stars aboard the Enterprise.

She also knows that longtime fans of both franchises are likely to notice connections and details that casual viewers might miss. Star Trek fans have decades of mythology behind them, just as Days viewers have spent decades following Marlena.

Hall said she was particularly pleased to see how enthusiastic everyone was on set about the material. “Everybody was just so game,” she said. “They were there to play.”

Deidre Hall Is Now Part of Two Television Legacies

Hall has spent more than five decades building Marlena into one of daytime television’s most recognizable characters. Her appearance on Strange New Worlds places her in another television legacy spanning generations.

The timing makes the connection even more notable. Hall is celebrating her 50th year as Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives, while Star Trek is celebrating its 60th anniversary.

When we pointed out that Hall is now part of the history of two legendary television franchises during milestone years for both, she admitted that she hadn’t thought of it quite that way. “I didn’t know that,” she said. “That’s daunting. I’m thrilled to be in such great company.”

Another connection between the two television worlds makes Hall’s appearance especially fun for longtime Days fans while tapping into Trekkie lore. In Strange New Worlds, Hall shares scenes with the son of Q, Trelane (Rhys Darby). Q was famously played by John de Lancie, who also appeared on Days of Our Lives as Eugene Bradford.

For Days fans, seeing Hall bring Marlena’s profession and face into the Star Trek universe is a rare opportunity. For Star Trek fans, her appearance offers a chance to welcome a television icon into a franchise with its own legacy.

And for fans of both, it is a chance to watch two very different television traditions come together through one familiar face. Hall may have spent most of her career in Salem, but for one episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Marlena is going to space.

About Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The 10-episode fourth season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered globally Thursday, July 23, on Paramount+. New episodes are available weekly on Thursdays through September 24.

In Season 4 of the Paramount+ original series, the crew of the USS Enterprise, led by Captain Christopher Pike, embark on a series of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars. As they journey to strange new worlds, they battle inner demons and external threats, encounter colorful new characters, reunite with familiar faces, and confront terrifying aliens. Through it all, they strive to embrace a bright, hopeful future.

Season 4 stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Martin Quinn, along with guest stars Carol Kane and Paul Wesley.

The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Dana Horgan, Alan McElroy, Robbie Thompson, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Chris Fisher, Anson Mount, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers for Season 4.