Star Trek Guest Star Praises Jess Bush For Helping Him Land Strange New Worlds Role: “She Gave Me Everything”

Cillian O'Sullivan praises Jess Bush's talent and generosity for helping him book the role of Dr. Roger Korby in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. O'Sullivan debuted as Korby in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 2, "Wedding Bell Blues," and Roger, being Nurse Christine Chapel's new boyfriend, was an unpleasant surprise to her former flame, Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck).

Speaking exclusively to ScreenRant, Cillian O'Sullivan described his audition for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which was a chemistry read with Jess Bush over Zoom. O'Sullivan effusively praises Jess Bush for being "very generous" in his audition, noting that "she gave me everything that she could" in the difficult circumstances of doing a chemistry read over Zoom. Read Cillian's quote below:

Cillian O’Sullivan: Jess Bush is such an amazing actor. I think she'd have chemistry with a stone if she wanted to. We did the chemistry read for the auditions, and Jess, in the chemistry read, really gave. She was very generous in that audition. I've been in chemistry reads before, where, you know… And on Zoom, it was on Zoom, too. So, that's a difficult thing to accomplish on Zoom is a chemistry read. Like, it's one thing for an audition, but she just gave me everything that she could in that room. And that was a huge part of getting the role, was the chemistry that we had to get her in that Zoom room. And that was as much of a part of Jess’ effort as it was mine.

Cillian O'Sullivan & Jess Bush Have Palpable Chemistry On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Chapel & Korby Are Believably In Love

Dr. Roger Korby and Nurse Christine Chapel literally beamed into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 2 already a couple, after Christine spent three months working with Roger in her fellowship for archeological medicine. To Spock's chagrin, the Pablo Neruda-quoting affection between Roger and Christine was genuine, which made the Vulcan realize his own romance with Nurse Chapel was, indeed, over.

In his exclusive interview with ScreenRant, Cillian O'Sullivan credited the writing by Kirsten Beyer and David Reed for making Dr. Roger Korby likable, at least to audiences, as well as Chapel's USS Enterprise crewmates (except for Spock). The other person in "Wedding Bell Blues" who loathed Korby on sight was Trelane (Rhys Darby), who warped reality to marry Chapel to Spock instead of Roger.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds knows it has a good thing with Chapel and Korby. Cillian returns as Korby in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, episode 5, "Through The Lens of Time." O'Sullivan hints that "you start to see kind of that dark side of Korby," foreshadowing the heel turn Dr. Roger Korby takes in Star Trek: The Original Series.

Our Take On Jess Bush & Cillian O'Sullivan's Chemistry In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Chapel & Korby Won't Last, Unfortunately

Cillian O'Sullivan was brilliantly cast as Dr. Roger Korby opposite Jess Bush's Nurse Christine Chapel in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Chapel and Korby's engagement is long over in Star Trek: The Original Series, but Strange New Worlds has shown that Roger and Christine were indeed well-matched and in love in this early stage of their relationship.

Knowing how Dr. Roger Korby turns out in Star Trek: The Original Series, Strange New Worlds has wisely not made Chapel and Korby's romantic trajectory an obvious straight line. Roger and Christine are still a young couple in Strange New Worlds, and for them, the future is bright despite being long-distance due to Chapel's service aboard the USS Enterprise.

It's clear from watching Jess Bush and Cillian O'Sullivan together on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that their chemistry leaped off his initial Zoom audition and onto the set. While Star Trek fans know how Korby and Chapel must ultimately end, the trick is to make the eventuality of their relationship a tragedy because of how winning Bush and O'Sullivan are together on-screen.