Communication freshman Jacob Kogan may now lack the pointy ears and slanted eyebrows, but in 2009, he appeared on the big screen as young Spock in “Star Trek.”

Kogan worked and acted on the set for three weeks in the fall of 2007, appearing in two scenes in the film.

“In the first scene, I’m in a school … and then these kids come over to me and they bully me for being half-human and half-Vulcan,” said Kogan, who was 12 while on the set. “The second scene, which is also rather short, is me sitting in school with a little bit of green blood on my lip, and my dad comes over to me and tells me that I need to decide between the Vulcan path and the human path.”

Kogan said he didn’t originally know he was auditioning for the role of young Spock. He was surprised by how secretive the film set was due to the hype surrounding the franchise, he said.

“Even on the film set you weren’t allowed to refer to the movie by its actual name,” Kogan said.  “When we walked around set we had to wear tarps over our bodies to cover the costumes … and there were still people camping out in bushes taking photos.”

Kogan is a theater major from New York City. He also sings in the all-male a cappella group Freshman Fifteen.

“He is a fantastic actor, a good singer and a good person,” said Bienen junior Daniel Zozokos, artistic director of Freshman Fifteen. “He is willing to learn, and he wants to be a performer and more power to him.”

While on the “Star Trek” set, Kogan said he met and interacted with several other well-known actors in the cast.

“There was a cool moment where, at one of the conventions, there was me, Zach Quinto, and Leonard Nimoy all on stage like the three Spocks from the movie,” Kogan said.

Kogan has appeared in other films, such as the psychological thriller “Joshua,” and is currently acting in “The Tomorrow People,” a new TV series about superheroes. The second episode aired Wednesday on the CW. He said he isn’t in any theater productions on campus this quarter because he doesn’t want to be too overwhelmed.

Despite his accomplishments on the screen, Kogan said he doesn’t like to make a big deal about being an actor.

“It’s like, you have your interests and I have mine,” Kogan said. “It just so happens that my interests put me on a screen where a lot of people can see me, but your interests are just as valid as mine.”

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MedillJordan