Eddie Izzard on Galaxy Quest as Star Trek

You know, even at the best of times, sometimes it’s just kind of a slow news day. And when that happens, I like to cast my net a little wider to bring you stories that I think Star Trek fans will enjoy. This is one of those stories.

Vulture brings us an interview today with Eddie Izzard...all about the best non-Star Trek Star Trek movie, Galaxy Quest. Eddie Izzard is gearing up for his next big comedy tour, Wunderbar, which is heading states-side next month. So he sat down with Vulture for what I can only presume was a rambling interview that somehow settled into a whole discussion about how awesome Galaxy Quest is.

Vulture describes Galaxy Quest quite accurately, I think: “One of the best Star Trek movies isn’t really a Star Trek movie. It’s Galaxy Quest, an inexplicably star-studded sci-fi comedy about the nature of fiction and the power of teamwork. Galaxy Quest is about a group of washed-up actors who now make their living on the convention circuit for their old TV show, Galaxy Quest. What they don’t know is that an alien race, the Thermians, think their show is real.”

When asked about the film, Izzard told Vulture: “It’s the guys of Star Trek going on an actual adventure. We know a little about the personal relationships of the original Star Trek [cast]. There was some frustration that came to public notice after the series had finished. It’s like we’re seeing them, and they actually go on an adventure. And they are so crap. The characters they’re playing are so [messed] up and real. They’re played by such a cast. Everyone’s so great.”

Later Izzard turns his attention to how Galaxy Quest and Star Trek are different, but alike. When Vulture suggested that Galaxy Quest’s motto “Never give up, never surrender” is more aggressive than Star Trek’s “To boldly go…”, Izzard said:

“The idea that Galaxy Quest is more warlike than Star Trek … See, in Star Trek they were trying to find out things, and then everyone kept trying to kill them. They had phasers on stun most of the time. But I assume Galaxy Quest had their phasers on stun. I think they were the same gig. “Never give up, never surrender” — that’s a thing for life. I don’t think violence is attached to that.”

Eddie Izzard kicks off the US leg of his Wunderbar tour in Nashville on May 8th.