Speleers was frustrated that he had chosen Jack. He told SFX that his difficulty finding a character identifier only caused him stress and made him question his craft entirely. He said it was:
“… almost crying because I couldn’t find my way with the paper. […] I was incredibly frustrated. I almost gave up. I think I had a big, melodramatic moment of tantrum where I said, sure, that’s it, I’m quitting acting and quitting!”
That’s when showrunner Terry Matalas gave Speleers a slew of “Star Trek” tasks to get him on track. Matalas compiled a list of pertinent “Star Trek” episodes and movies that would be vital to the construction of Jack. The email, according to SFX, was called “Star Trek University.” Speleers didn’t show the list to his interviewers, unfortunately, so Trekkies can’t peruse it, pat his chin, and silently judge Matalas’s choices. Speleers said:
“It was a long list of Star Trek episodes from TNG, then movies ranging from ‘The Wrath Of Khan’ to ‘First Contact.’ They obviously left out ‘Nemesis.’ Don’t look at that.”
Stuart Baird’s 2002 film “Star Trek: Nemesis” is one of the least loved films in the long-running “Star Trek” series, earning less money than any of the others, even after accounting for inflation. Speleers was clearly making fun of the film’s bad reputation. Whether or not Matalas actually warned the actor to stay away from “Nemesis,” he’s still an academic.