Alec Newman, the Scottish actor who played Malik in Star Trek: Enterprise's Augments episodes, called the role a dream come true.

"The story was interesting and the character was interesting, but I have to say that one of my favourite movies was The Wrath Of Khan...I would be a liar if I didn’t say that was what attracted me most to Enterprise," Newman told Star Trek Magazine (via Sci Fi Pulse). "The actual science that was behind that movie, and behind these episodes, the whole genetics question, the issues of mutation...it's fascinating stuff."

Newman, who has worked in Hollywood for the past two years doing mostly guest roles on television, said that he really appreciated the opportunity to develop a character over a three-episode miniseries. "That was the essential difference doing Enterprise. I got to play Malik across an arc. When you have three episodes it tends to become more about character than events."

It was also fun for the actor to be a part of the Star Trek franchise and get to list his name among the luminaries who have appeared on the series. "I was a big fan of Scott Bakula's from Quantum Leap. And I got on really famously with Brent Spiner. I just found him an incredible gentleman to be around," explained Newman. "I enjoyed making the last one the best of the three. And I think it was to do with the run of the part, with the culmination of sorts in that final episode."

Newman has other science fiction projects in the pipeline, including The Gene Generation, scheduled to be released in May 2006. Described as a combination of Blade Runner and The Crow, the film stars Ling Bai as an assassin battling DNA hackers who can invade people's bodies and kill them. "Other things are coming together or are in the process of coming together,” Newman added. "I'm always happy when am working."

The full interview is in the current issue of Star Trek Magazine. These excerpts are from Sci Fi Pulse.

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