CELEBRITIES
Lewis: ‘Trek’ role ‘dream come true’
For Dawnn Lewis, becoming part of the “Star Trek” legacy wasn’t just another job. It was a dream come true.
“I have watched every incarnation of Star Trek, the TV series, movies, you name it, even the first animated series back in the day,” the actress, 59, said. “I am a huge Star Trek fan.”
Lewis said she routinely stayed up after bedtime in her Brooklyn home with her brothers to watch episodes of the science fiction classic. When her mother took night classes, she was watching Captain Kirk explore strange new worlds.
Now, decades later, she’s joined the franchise herself as the commander of a starship. Lewis plays Captain Freeman of the USS Cerritos in the CBS All Access animated comedy “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”
Unlike her predecessors, however, her character isn’t the central figure of the show. And Freeman’s crew is a bit more dysfunctional. Not that any of this bothers Lewis, as she loves just being a part of a science fiction legacy.
“To be the captain of this new Starfleet vessel, the Cerritos, is really like a dream come true,” she said. “This is awesome.”
Gaga won five honors Sunday, most of them for her No. 1 hit with Ariana Grande, “Rain on Me,” which the duo performed live for the first time.
“Wear a mask. It’s a sign of respect,” Gaga said during one of her appearances onstage as she accepted awards like artist of the year, song of the year and the MTV Tricon award.
The Weeknd, the first performer of the night, paid tribute to Blake and Taylor after winning video of the year and best R&B for “Blinding Lights.”
“It’s really hard for me to celebrate right now and enjoy this moment, so I’m just going to say: justice for Jacob Blake and justice for Breonna Taylor,” he said.
The VMAs kicked off with another touching moment, as host Keke Palmer told viewers the show was dedicated to Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday. The show also took moments to honor Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, rappers who died in recent months.
K-pop all-stars BTS won four awards Sunday, including best pop and best group. Grande tied BTS with four wins. Megan Thee Stallion won best hip-hop for “Savage,” and Taylor Swift won best direction for “The Man.”