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Aerial shot of the Griffith Observatory

Episode 67: April Eden

In this episode we speak with the actor and science educator April Eden. April was also the subject of a special feature on the Star Trek (2009) DVD/Blu-Ray as an extra in the film. You may have also seen her as Miss Pawnee in Parks & Recreation and as the Chair Model in The Office. For a great introduction to April, watch the bonus feature “Trekker Alert” on the Star Trek 2009 Blu-Ray or DVD.

April Eden
Title card from April's Special Feature on the Star Trek 2009 Blu-Ray
The title card from April’s segment in the Star Trek (2009) Bonus Feature

Topics

  • The Alien Meatball
  • Star Trek is April’s family
  • April feels sort of Judgy McJudgerson about the Star Trek
  • The Spock Helmet is canon!
  • Collecting the Hallmark ornaments
  • April moves to Los Angeles just to be a part of Star Trek
  • Starlog magazine
  • Star Trek uniform collections
  • Griffith Observatory
  • First convention experience: A Hotel lobby
  • Co-hosting an event with some Star Trek actors
  • A bit on April’s acting career
  • Dungeons & Dragons is fun!
  • April is making art packs on Roll20 for D&D
  • The story of being an extra on Star Trek (2009)
  • April catches a problem on the set!
  • Being a hand-double for the Orion… April is the one who sabotaged the Kobayashi Maru!
  • April appeared several times in the movies
  • How April ended up on the special features
  • John had to go on a wild hunt to locate April and talked to a bunch of agents
  • Getting into Into Darkness
  • Orion ladies in Starfleet have to be about their business
  • Emotional compromise when you’re in the episode/movie
  • My guest has a mighty Star Trek superpower
  • The show led April to get into astronomy
  • Launching Fangirl Academy
  • The Star Trek fan film rules
  • Admiring Dr Gillian Taylor
  • April does not approve of Turnabout Intruder
  • Brothers and Sisters, my guest and I reach
  • A Star Trek episode leads my guest to question some things in her life
  • Natira gets some love & respect
  • The aliens may not be friendly
  • Carl Sagan has a different idea
  • Meet Officer Roddenberry, Police Officer of Mystery
  • Weekend at Trekkie Bernie’s, the movie
  • My guest doesn’t believe that TNG’s Masks gets a lot of flak
  • John has a theory about Masks
  • Voyager’s Real Life has a real-life effect on April
  • Do not underestimate the power of theater
  • Star Trek structure: character then story or story then character?
  • A diversion about The Orville
  • Even more diversions
  • Honorary Star Trek title awarded: Federation Ambassador to Daran V
  • From the Bonus Material
Image of April Eden in makeup as an Orion starfleet officer with JJ Abrams on the set
April as an Orion and JJ Abrams on the set.
Image of a coffee cup with a green lipstick imprint
The rules on the set were “no selfies” but they didn’t say anything about images of coffee cups.
Image of a View Master reel with pictures of the cosmos in them, held to light by April Eden
Learning to observe and touching the sky
April holding her hand in a Vulcan Salute at the Griffith Observatory
At the Griffith Observatory

Episodes Discussed

  • The Devil in the Dark TOS S1E25
  • Star Trek (Film, 2009)
  • Star Trek: Into Darkness (Film, 2013)
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Film, 1986)
  • Turnabout Intruder TOS S3E24
  • The Way to Eden TOS S3E20
  • For the World is Hollow and I have Touched the Sky TOS S3E08
  • Little Green Men DS9 S4E08
  • The Magnificent Ferengi DS9 S6E10
  • Masks TNG S7E17
  • Real Life VOY S3E22
  • Fair Haven VOY S6E11
  • I, Mudd TOS S2E08
  • Time’s Arrow TNG S5E26, S6E01
April Eden interviewing Amanda Tapping and William Shatner
April hosting a talk with William Shatner and Amanda Tapping
April holding a copy of the TV Guide magazine that spurred her move to Los Angeles.
The TV Guide that started it all.
Image of April Eden's Star Trek tattoo
April’s Star Trek tattoo
April with Richard Hatch at San Diego Comic Con
April with Richard Hatch at San Diego Comic Con
Image of April Eden at STLV in 2012 asking Kate Mulgrew a question
April at STLV 2012, asking Kate a question

Connect

Image of April's Star Trek Hallmark Ornaments
April’s Hallmark Ornaments, with a guest appearance by a stuffed Carl Sagan
image of april eden's star trek magazines and stamps
Some of April’s Star Trek collection
Image of two Star Trek The Magazines, one with Nichelle Nichols on the cover, and the other with Majel Barett on the cover.
A couple of April’s favorite magazines in her Star Trek collection

Support

This show is a labor of love. If you’d like to show your support for Trek Profiles, please consider a donation to the official charity of the podcast: The Children’s Fund for Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD). Click here to donate. Or click here to learn more about GSD.

Acknowledgements

Background photo by Venti Views on Unsplash

Would you like to write some Kobayashi Maru lightning round questions? If you’d like to submit some for possible inclusion on the show, you can send me a message via Twitter or email me. I give some suggestions on good questions here.

Some portions of the Kobayashi Maru lightning round questions in this episode were written by listeners Adam Saunders and Ross Webster. If you’d like to submit questions for possible inclusion on the show, you can send me a message via Twitter or email me. I give some suggestions on good questions here.

Published in Episodes