Cirroc Lofton’s performance as Jake Sisko on Star Trek: DS9 was “great” thanks to Avery Brooks, say Star Trek actors on The Delta Flyers podcast.

Star Trek actors give credit to Commander Benjamin Sisko actor Avery Brooks for the “great” performance given by Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1, episode 10, “Move Along Home”. The primary story focuses on Quark (Armin Shimerman) playing Chula, an unusual game brought to DS9 by the first Gamma Quadrant delegation since the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole, while the episode’s B-plot revolves around the relationship between Commander Sisko and Jake, with Ben skeptical of Jake’s friendship with Quark’s nephew Nog (Aron Eisenberg). The plotlines converge when Jake discovers Ben is missing, having been sucked into the game.

Benjamin Sisko and his son Jake didn’t have it easy in DS9‘s early years. Ben’s wife and Jake’s mother, Jennifer (Felecia M. Bell), died in the Battle of Wolf 359, and although Ben and Jake were still mourning their loss when they came to DS9, the Siskos helped each other cope. Despite the difficulty of balancing single parenthood with Starfleet duties and responsibilities as the Bajoran Emissary, Benjamin steered Jake towards good decisions, and took an active interest in the important parts of Jake’s life. Jake challenged Benjamin to become aware of Ben’s own potential prejudices, and consider Jake’s friendships with an open mind.

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Cirroc Lofton’s Acting Praised By Star Trek: DS9 & Voyager Actors

Armin Shimerman credits Avery Brooks as Lofton’s mentor.

On The Delta Flyers podcast, co-hosts Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang, of Star Trek: Voyager, are joined by DS9‘s Armin Shimerman to watch and review DS9 season 1, episode 10 “Move Along Home”. All three actors recognize Cirroc Lofton’s naturalistic performance in scenes with Brooks, prompting Shimerman to give credit where it’s due. Read their quotes below and listen to The Delta Flyers, starting at the 11:50 timestamp.

Robert Duncan McNeill: “I thought Cirroc was great in this scene.”

Armin Shimerman: “He is terrific. I’m watching these episodes, and that fourteen-year-old boy is outshining all of us.”

Robert Duncan McNeill: “He’s open, and charming, and funny, and he’s having fun. You see a lot of kids on TV shows and films that are just anxious, you know? They’re in a set environment, and they’re just not relaxed.”

Garrett Wang: “You can see the tension. You can see how stiff the child actor is. They’re not open, they’re not playing, they’re not free. Compared to all the other actors, you can see it so clearly, but definitely, Cirroc did such a nice job blending in.”

Armin Shimerman: ” Credit for that has to go to Avery Brooks , who always made Cirroc feel at home, always made him feel as though he was a surrogate father for him.”

Benjamin and Jake Sisko Were Relatable

Brooks and Lofton brought authenticity to the Siskos’ family dynamic.

Avery Brooks was invested in portraying the relationship between Benjamin Sisko and Jake as a thoughtful depiction of genuine love between a single Black father and his teenage son. Such relationships were rare on television when Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was in production, making the Siskos important characters who had to be authentic. To aid in that authenticity, Brooks cultivated his off-screen relationship with Lofton, and became a father figure for Cirroc, which put the young actor more at ease on set. The tight bond between Ben and Jake Sisko was completely believable because Avery Brooks loved Cirroc Lofton like a son.

Benjamin and Jake Sisko’s father-son relationship was an important part of the characters’ lives that evolved with Brooks and Lofton. Earlier DS9 episodes, like “Move Along Home”, saw Ben and Jake in relatable and age-appropriate conflicts, like Ben disapproving of Jake’s friendship with Nog. Later years saw the Siskos facing equally relatable, but more difficult challenges as Jake grew up, like Jake choosing to be a writer instead of a Starfleet officer, or Ben dating and eventually marrying Kasidy Yates (Penny Johnson). Cirroc Lofto skillfully took on the acting challenges in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, no doubt aided by Avery Brooks’ guidance.