"The first production I was in was 'A Doll's House,' which is pretty complex," he told the paper. "I needed a lot of seasoning, so I decided to take graduate courses at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It has a great drama school."

From there the Saturn Award-nominated actor landed a showcase in New York, which helped him earn bit parts in shows like ER, SLIDERS and TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. Playing a reporter in HBO's 61 was particularly satisfying for this baseball fan.

"I begged to read for the part of Roger Maris in '61*,' but I heard about it too late. It went to Barry Pepper, but I got to play a reporter. It was nice to be part of a love letter to baseball."

From there it was just a matter of some rapid call backs to get the ex-football athelete into his STAR TREK spacesuit.

"I didn't feel as if I did a good job, but I got called back the same day," Trinneer said. "It meant changing and going back an hour later, so I almost canceled. I was asked to return again, a couple days later, and I nailed the reading."

Trinneer, who has attended many TREK conventions since beginning on the series, says he fully understands the fun of being a fan.

"The fans, in general, have gotten a bad rap," he said. "As a kid, had Reggie Jackson come to my town, I would have lined up two blocks to get his autograph, too... It's a very diverse community of fans, and I've enjoyed myself."

Trinneer says he's trying not to let his life change too much with newfound fame.

"They said, 'Your life is going to change,' and it sort of has. To the point that it can be controlled, though, I'm trying to hang on to the life I had. But, this has been a tremendous gift."

You can read more of Trinneer's interview, which also includes brief remarks from producer Rick Berman about the actor's talent, here.