2001: A New Space Odyssey
Source: Entertainment Weekly

Sex sells
''Enterprise'' recharges the ''Trek'' franchise EW goes behind the scenes of the UPN prequel that's shaking up the sci-fi universe by Dan Snierson 

Oh, we're believers. For those of you who've been living in another solar system, ''Enterprise'' has scored another Seven of Nine (actually, some say she's even closer to their idea of a perfect 10). Introducing Jolene Blalock, a 26-year-old model-turned-actress who's already transformed the austere T'Pol into the best-looking Vulcan this space quadrant has ever witnessed. An old-school ''Trek'' devotee -- ''Spock was so cool,'' she coos -- Blalock turned down two requests to try on the pointy ears and bowl-cut wig before finally agreeing to audition. ''I thought it was going to be just another 'Deep Space Nine' or 'Voyager' or something along those lines,'' explains Blalock, whose previous credits include appearances on ''CSI'' and ''JAG.''

''My agent sat me down, we had a little powwow, and he said, 'You know what? I suggest you read the script.' And I took it home, I got the premise, found out it was a prequel, found out she was a Vulcan, and was sold.'' The third time was apparently the charm for the producers as well. ''She's obviously very beautiful,'' says Braga, ''but she had an otherwordly quality when she came in to read. She seemed kind of... alien. She had very interesting eyes. It was weird. Beautiful, but kind of odd. That's what you look for in an alien.''

And -- quelle coincidence! -- she happens to fit quite nicely into that catsuit. (''What could be more comfortable -- it's like long johns,'' she says. ''I'm not going to say leotards, because that would be a fashion faux pas.'') She's also not too shabby at executing that whole Vulcan neck pinch thing (which this reporter bravely experienced firsthand). ''Jolene's really good -- she's not just eye candy,'' observes Keating. ''She's quite aware that she'll probably be the breakout star of the show.'' She's already one of the most ogled women on the Internet. ''I have no control over that,'' she says. ''Physicality is physicality and I can only use it to empower me. I am woman. I can't hide that.''

Fair enough, Jolene, but are you prepared to fend off that legion of Trekkers whose phasers are already set to hot-and-bothered? ''My people made me change my phone number and my address,'' she says with a nervous laugh.

This is an excerpt from Entertainment Weekly's Oct. 19, 2001, cover story. To read this story in its entirety, see EW's issue No. 621 or you can read a majority of it online at there website here.