Babs Olusanmokun on Dr. M’Benga’s Duality, Relationships, and Holiday Plans on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds launched, Babs Olusanmokun has portrayed Dr. M’Benga as a multi-faceted, complex character, deeply invested in the care of his patients and crew, a far cry from the TOS footnote the character was originally.

As a doctor, a father, a Starfleet officer, and a friend, he has demonstrated empathy and understanding borne of a wealth of life experience and thoughtful perspective.

In an exclusive interview with TV Fanatic, Olusanmokun shared his thoughts on the path M’Benga walks and who he chooses to walk it with.

Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. Joseph M’Benga

What was your relationship with Star Trek before landing the role of Dr. M’Benga?

[I watched] the shows in syndication — TOS, Deep Space Nine, Next Generation. Spock was my guy. Anytime I heard his name, or saw those uniforms, it was like, “Yeah! Star Trek!” They’re going to this crazy place.

I always had an appreciation for it. Booking the show was pretty wild. Star Trek! It was a wonderful piece of news when I received it. To come on and build this character… It’s been incredible.”

Doctor’s Dilemma

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 4, “A Case of Chiaroscuro,” he has a wonderful line near the end regarding his “Healer’s Anguish,” where no matter how many you save, it’s never enough.

He’s a healer with this special set of skills, which were explored on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War.” How do you balance the moral compass that he follows?

It’s a case of being faced with extremely tough choices, which some people in life have to deal with. And it’s a case of forging forward. Star Trek, ultimately, is about optimism. It’s about hope in humanity. Hope in each other.

This character, who’s got this duality — a very layered duality — it was a privilege to explore that. There are people who have to try to make the best possible decision you can make without completely losing yourself, or without giving up on life, so to speak.

He’s had to fight on the battlefield and take up arms, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. It wasn’t what he set out to do, but he was faced with that extremely tough choice.

Field Training

And then when you do ‘conquer’ on the battlefield, or survive the battlefield, which is really what it is — as we know with life, experiences of war, we don’t really conquer — there is a suffering that comes along with it.

Just to be able to make the decision, is there no redemption for you? Can you be redeemed? How are you going to be redeemed?

Perhaps by making the choice to go on living, day by day, and trying to heal as much as possible and overcompensate because of this harm that you’ve been forced to do.

I think that’s a struggle, and it is meant to be a struggle.

He’s willing to be judged, but he knows that he can’t stop living. He’s gotta have hope and say, when the end comes, “It’s in another’s hands to judge.”

That’s very much in line with what he said to Pike on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 Episode 3, “Shuttle to Kenfori,” when he admits what he did [to Dak’Rah] and says, “I’d do it again.”

He stands by his choices. That’s the M’Benga we’ve come to know.

Partners

His relationship with Chapel is a wonderful mentor-mentee one, but also friendship and comradeship. How have you and Jess Bush explored that relationship?

It’s [through] the commitment to the work, the commitment to the characters, and really truly appreciating each other.

Truly respecting each other and making sure you’re looking the person in the eyes and everything comes from a place of warmth.

And then you’re put in these intense situations together, and because you’re both trying to do the very best you can, there is a love there that is only forged through these difficult moments, through the appreciation and respect that they have for each other.

So all those words you said before — comradeship, mentor-mentee, FRIENDS — all of that relates to them. There is something magical there.

Working Relationship

We didn’t do a lot of talking. We always gave each other space, working together.

Many of these scenes in episodes that we did together, it’s always the two of us, and so our little area of the green room is a bit bigger, and I’ve got my music on, and she’s got hers on.

We always made sure to listen to each other then, when we’re on set, when you’re called, when you’re there.

There’s just a natural, organic warmth towards each other and, principally, respect also for the work that then brought this about.

To prepare as much as possible and really be there to dance as much as possible. We didn’t come to play. Jess and I specifically, because a lot of those scenes were quite intense from the first season on.

I appreciated her, and I think likewise from her end. There was just the full-on commitment, so when we came together, it was just BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM. That’s how I can describe it.

It was always a joy to work with her.

M’Benga’s R&R

We have seen M’Benga on two different shore leave episodes. On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 Episode 5, “Spock Amok,” he goes fishing.

And on the most recent shore leave on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Episode 3, “Human Best Friend,” he becomes a bartender. Where would his next holiday take him?

Oh my god! The next time you see him [on holiday], I think you’d see him cycling along the sea, enjoying some oysters and some white wine.

New episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

Interviews like this take time and care — and we hope it shows.
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