Michelle Yeoh on how Star Trek Section 31 is a redemption story for Philippa Georgiou

Chris Tilly
Michelle Yeoh in evil mode in Star Trek Section 31.

Star Trek: Section 31 is a new TV movie that focusses on the further adventures of Philippa Georgiou, the character Michelle Yeoh played in Discovery, and who is striving for redemption in this new iteration.

Michelle Yeoh was Captain Georgiou in Star Trek Discovery, whom the actress describes as a “great mentor and leader,” as well as someone who is “compassionate and tough.”

But we also met the Mirror Universe version of the character in the Star Trek universe, who was quite the opposite, ruling as an Emperor, and behaving like an evil dictator.

Star Trek: Section 31 is a new film that finds Philippa teaming up with the titular secret Starfleet division, and embarking on a mission that forces Georgiou to face the sins of her past.

Michelle Yeoh says “the badass takes over” when she plays Emperor Georgiou

Michelle Yeoh on a mission in Star Trek: Section 31.

Yeoh recently attended a London screening of Star Trek: Section 31, and during a Q&A, and talked about how much fun she has playing Philippa Georgiou, as well as the journey the character embarks on during the new movie.

“For me, really, the badass just takes over completely,” Yeoh says of the role. “It’s so liberating to be able to play a character like that, who’s just so unapologetic, and just goes out and gets what she wants. The end.

“But I think the most important thing along the way for Emperor Philippa Georgiou was to find friends – people she could actually trust – because in the Mirror Universe there’s no one you can trust. Not even your own daughter. No one basically. You’re on your own. It’s survival mode. But while she was in Discovery she met Michael Burnham and the crew there and she discovered humanity.

“This journey for her is really about redemption and do we really get a second chance? And when you are given a second chance, can you really take it? Can you forgive yourself? Forget about other people forgiving you, can you take that step into saying ‘I deserve to be forgiven, I deserve a second chance, and I can do better.'”

Michelle was then asked about embracing the vulnerability of the character in Section 31, to which she responded: “I think you have to. That’s what I love about this character, right from the beginning, when I was given the ability to play the beloved Captain Phillipa Georgiou where she was a really good mentor, leader, compassionate, but tough. But then you meet someone like this who was so entitled. Who so believed that this is how it is. There was so much fun playing that character.”

For more space-age action, here’s our list of the best sci-fi movies of all time, details of the Star Trek timeline, including how to watch the movies and TV shows in order, plus every Star Trek show ranked from worst to best.

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