Paramount+
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
(originally known as
CBS All Access
Paramount+ is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand service owned by Paramount Global. The service's content is drawn primarily from the libraries of CBS Media Ventures (including CBS Studios), Paramount Me ...
) by
Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', '' Hannibal'', and '' American Gods.'' Fuller worked a ...
and
Alex Kurtzman
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers (film), Transformers'' (2007), ''Transformers: Revenge ...
Federation
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
–
Klingon
The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''.
Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
war while following the crew of the USS ''Discovery''. It premiered on September 24, 2017.
The series stars
Sonequa Martin-Green
Sonequa Chaunté Martin-Green (; Martin; born March 21, 1985) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Michael Burnham, the main character in the streaming television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'', and as Sasha W ...
as
Michael Burnham
Michael Burnham is the fictional protagonist on '' Star Trek: Discovery'' portrayed by American actress Sonequa Martin-Green. She originally appears as the First Officer of USS ''Shenzhou'' under Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) until she com ...
, a Starfleet mutineer who is given a war-time field assignment as a science specialist on the USS ''Discovery'' and the adopted sister of original series character
Spock
Spock is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterprise ...
Shazad Latif
Shazad Latif (born Iqbal Amin; 8 July 1988) is a British actor, who starred as Tariq Masood in the BBC TV series '' Spooks'', Clem Fandango on ''Toast of London'', and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in ''Penny Dreadful''. In 2017, he was cast as Chief ...
,
Anthony Rapp
Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of ''Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film version ...
, and Mary Wiseman round out the main cast. They were joined by
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor.
Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), C ...
for the first season and
Anson Mount
Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series ''Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marvel Co ...
for the second. Characters seen previously in ''Star Trek'' also appear in recurring roles, including Spock's father
Sarek
Sarek is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He is a Vulcan astrophysicist, the Vulcan ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, and father of Spock. The character was originally played by Mark Lenard in the epi ...
, portrayed by
James Frain
James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/ CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwi ...
, and
Harry Mudd
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
, portrayed by
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'', for which he earned three consecutive Emm ...
.
The following list includes ''Star Trek: Discovery''s main cast, as well as all guest stars deemed to have had recurring roles throughout the series, and a supplementary list of other noteworthy guests.
Overview
: =
Main cast
In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenp ...
Sonequa Martin-Green
Sonequa Chaunté Martin-Green (; Martin; born March 21, 1985) is an American actress. She is best known for her television roles as Michael Burnham, the main character in the streaming television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'', and as Sasha W ...
) is a science specialist aboard the USS ''Discovery''. Burnham was first officer of the USS ''Shenzhou'', where she was referred to as "number one", until she was convicted of mutiny and sentenced to life in prison. ''Discovery'' captain
Gabriel Lorca
'' Star Trek: Discovery'' is an American television series created for Paramount+ (originally known as CBS All Access) by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Set roughly a decade before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, the original ''Star ...
, brings Burnham back to duty with a temporary wartime assignment as a scientist on his ship. Burnham was raised following
Vulcan
Vulcan may refer to:
Mythology
* Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...
culture and traditions by
Sarek
Sarek is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He is a Vulcan astrophysicist, the Vulcan ambassador to the United Federation of Planets, and father of Spock. The character was originally played by Mark Lenard in the epi ...
, and is the first human to attend the Vulcan Learning Center and Vulcan Science Academy.
Series co-creator
Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller (born July 27, 1969) is an American television writer and producer who has created a number of television series, including ''Dead Like Me'', ''Wonderfalls'', ''Pushing Daisies'', '' Hannibal'', and '' American Gods.'' Fuller worked a ...
had anticipated casting announcements for the show in October 2016, but no announcements had been made by the end of that month. The majority of the series main characters were believed to have been cast by then, but no actress had been cast for the series' lead role. This was a source of "some internal stress" at CBS, with the casting of the character deemed "a far tougher assignment" than expected. Several African American and Latina actresses were being looked at for the role, with CBS "not seeking a huge star and
referring
Reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to ''refer to'' the second object. It is called a '' name'' ...
a fresh face for the part." Martin-Green was cast in the role in December, which was revealed with the character's production codename "lieutenant commander Rainsford". Her casting was officially confirmed in April 2017, following the end of her run on '' The Walking Dead'', with the character's actual name also revealed. The character has an inner conflict due to being raised by Sarek, with showrunner
Aaron Harberts
Aaron Harberts (born January 20, 1973) is an American television writer and producer. He was a co-showrunner of CBS's '' Star Trek: Discovery'' with Gretchen J. Berg until their departure in June 2018. Harberts and Berg have been writing/producing ...
explaining that many of the actresses tested for the role "either went way too robotic and chilly or way too emotional", but Martin-Green was "able to be aloof but warm; logical but able to surrender her emotional side to the audience."
Since Sarek's son
Spock
Spock is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterprise ...
never mentioned a sister in the original series, executive producer
Alex Kurtzman
Alexander Hilary Kurtzman (born September 7, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise since 2009, co-writing the scripts to ''Transformers (film), Transformers'' (2007), ''Transformers: Revenge ...
said that the specifics of Burnham's backstory would be revealed in a way that would not break the existing canon continuity. As the show's protagonist, Burnham was not made a starship captain, like those of previous ''Star Trek'' series, "to see a character from a different perspective on the starship—one who has different dynamic relationships with a captain, with subordinates; it gave us richer context", though she does become captain of ''Discovery'' at the end of the last episode of season three. In the first two episodes of the series (stripped of rank by the end of episode two), she is referred to as Number One to honor the character of the same name portrayed by
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
"
The Cage
The Cage may refer to:
Sports
* West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", as of 1978, a public venue for amateur basketball in New York City
* Al-Shorta Stadium, 1990-2014, former football stadium of Al-Shorta SC, nicknamed "The Cage ...
", and was initially pitched to CBS as only being called Number One in the series. Fuller deliberately gave the character a traditionally male name as he did with the female leads of three previous (non-''Star Trek'') productions. Martin-Green decided that the character was named after her biological father.
Saru
Saru (portrayed by Doug Jones) is a captain serving as first officer of the USS ''Discovery'', and the first
Kelpien
'' Star Trek'' is a science fiction media franchise that began with Gene Roddenberry's launch of the original ''Star Trek'' television series in 1966. Its success led to decades of films, novels, comics, and spinoff series. A major motif of th ...
to enter Starfleet. Saru was introduced in the
series premiere
A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
as a lieutenant commander serving as chief science officer on the USS ''Shenzhou'', which is rendered a
hulk
The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk' ...
during a battle in the series'
second episode
"Second Episode" is the second episode of the HBO television series ''The New Pope''. The episode was directed by series creator Paolo Sorrentino and was written by Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contrarello, and Stefano Bises.
The episode takes place ...
. Before the events of "
Context Is for Kings
"Context Is for Kings" is the third episode of the American television series '' Star Trek: Discovery'', which is set roughly a decade before the events of the original ''Star Trek'' series and explores the war between the Federation and the Klin ...
", Saru becomes first officer on the USS ''Discovery''.
In the '' Star Trek: Short Treks'' episode "The Brightest Star", it is revealed that Saru adapted a communication device left behind by the pre-warp Kelpien's oppressors (the Ba'ul), eventually connecting with a young Starfleet officer—Lt. Philippa Georgiou—who obtained permission to "rescue" him from his planet.
Jones was cast as Saru in November 2016. Kelpiens, a new species created for ''Discovery'', were hunted as prey on their home planet and thus evolved the ability to sense the coming of death. This skill has given them a reputation for cowardice in the Federation. Jones was excited to, "from the ground up, develop and find this character and his species" and not have to honor a previous fan-favorite representation. He based Saru's walk on that of a supermodel, out of necessity thanks to the boots he had to wear to portray the character's hooved feet forcing Jones to walk on the balls of his feet. The producers compared Saru to the characters Spock and
Data
In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted ...
from previous series in the
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
.
In the Mirror Universe, Saru is a nameless slave stationed on the ISS ''Shenzhou''.
Ash Tyler and Voq
Voq (portrayed by
Shazad Latif
Shazad Latif (born Iqbal Amin; 8 July 1988) is a British actor, who starred as Tariq Masood in the BBC TV series '' Spooks'', Clem Fandango on ''Toast of London'', and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in ''Penny Dreadful''. In 2017, he was cast as Chief ...
) is an
albino
Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albino.
Varied use and interpretation of the term ...
Klingon, described as being "touched by fate and fire". He undergoes surgery and personality alterations to disguise himself as Ash Tyler, a human Starfleet lieutenant and former
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
.
Latif was originally cast in the role of the Klingon Kol in December 2016, before being recast as Tyler at the end of April 2017. Voq was initially credited as being portrayed by Javid Iqbal, an invented actor named for Latif's father, to hide the connection between the characters. Latif described his character as "a very complex and painful and deep character", and noted that "there's a chemistry, a relationship" with Burnham. Latif's accent for Voq is
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
-inspired, and he tried to maintain "a kind of pharyngealness" to Tyler's American accent.
Paul Stamets
Paul Stamets (portrayed by
Anthony Rapp
Anthony Deane Rapp (born October 26, 1971) is an American actor and singer who originated the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of ''Rent''. Following his original performance of the role in 1996, Rapp reprised it in the film version ...
) is a science officer specializing in astromycology (the study of fungi in space). He is married to Hugh Culber. Rapp was revealed to have been cast as Stamets in November 2016. He was originally cast in a different, smaller role, but when discussing gay actors who could portray the character Stamets, the executive producers realized that Rapp was the actor they wanted to fill that role instead. He did not audition for either role.
Stamets and Culber are jointly the first openly gay characters in a ''Star Trek'' series, and the showrunners "wanted to roll out that character's sexuality the way people would roll out their sexuality in life". Rapp noted that
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Kato Sulu is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. A member of the crew in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Sulu also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, the first six ''Star Trek'' movies, one episode ...
was portrayed as gay in the film ''
Star Trek Beyond
''Star Trek Beyond'' is a 2016 American science fiction action film directed by Justin Lin, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, and based on the television series ''Star Trek'' created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the 13th film in the ''Star Tr ...
'', calling that "a nice nod. But in this case, we actually get to see me with my partner in conversation, in our living quarters, you get to see our relationship over time, treated as any other relationship would be treated". Stamets is inspired by a real-life mycologist of the same name, whom Fuller had introduced to the series' writers early on after becoming interested in his research into spores. The character's outlook that physics and biology are quantifiably the same thing also comes from the real Stamets's research and theories.
Sylvia Tilly
Sylvia Tilly (portrayed by Mary Wiseman) is a cadet in Season 1 and in her final year at Starfleet Academy and is assigned to the ''Discovery''. She is assigned to engineering and works under Stamets aboard the ''Discovery'', and becomes roommates there with Burnham. In season 3 Captain Saru made Sylvia Tilly the first officer on board ''Discovery.'' Due to Saru being off of the ship for a long amount of time she took over as captain, but in the final episode she relinquishes the role of acting captain due to Commander Burnham's promotion to captain. During season 4 Tilly served as a lieutenant onboard the U.S.S Discovery under Captain Burnham before leaving to join Starfleet Academy as a tutor.
Wiseman was cast in March 2017. Tilly was included to represent people "at the very bottom of this ladder" of the Starfleet hierarchy. She is "the most optimistic … has the biggest heart", and Harberts described her as "sort of the soul of our show". The character was named after showrunner
Gretchen J. Berg
Gretchen J. Berg (born February 8, 1971) is an American writer and television producer. She has worked extensively with her writer and producing partner Aaron Harberts on a number of television series including ''Pushing Daisies'' and ''Revenge (T ...
's two-year-old niece. On February 7, 2018, Wiseman said that Tilly was not written and portrayed as on the
autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
, but is personally touched by the fans interpretation and has been praised by autistic trans commentator Jessie Earl for not falling into the tropes of socially isolating from other characters.
Gabriel Lorca
Gabriel Lorca (portrayed by
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor.
Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), C ...
) is captain of the ''Discovery'' in the first season, a "brilliant military tactician". Isaacs joined the series in March 2017, describing Lorca as "probably more f-d up than any of" the previously seen ''Star Trek'' captains, and comparing the character to his portrayal of Mike Steele in the film '' Black Hawk Down''. Isaacs was initially given the first two scripts for the series, which Lorca does not appear in, and an early draft of his introduction in the third that was going to be re-written, but agreed to join the series after discussing the series and character with the executive producers. He plays the character with a slight southern U.S. accent, wanting to avoid using his own English accent and thus being "a very pale shadow of the brilliant
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor who has a career spanning seven decades in various stage productions, television, film and video games. He has been nominated for Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actor ...
". Of the character, Isaacs said: "he's a military man, but he can be immensely charming. I've been privileged enough to work with the .S. ArmyRangers at Fort Benning, and no matter where you come from in America, if you train down South where most of the bases are, you pick up some form of a Southern accent. And I wanted something that had subliminal hints at the military." Isaacs initially wanted to ad-lib a catchphrase for the character feeling that all ''Star Trek'' captains should have one, coming up with "git'r done" which the writers turned down due to it being widely used and trademarked by
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality.
He was one of the members of the ...
. Comparing his character to Captain Georgiou, Isaacs said, "Georgiou is a mother figure, and I am unsentimental and don't see my job as protecting urnhamemotionally or any other way. I see her as a very, very useful asset in this war." In addition to having a standard captain's ready-room, Lorca also has a room referred to as his "menagerie" where he keeps things that he collects. This includes the skeleton of a
Gorn
The Gorn are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid reptilian species in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in a 1967 episode of the original series, "Arena", in which Captain Kirk fights an unnamed Gorn on ...
, a species that is apparently first discovered later in the original series, with Harberts feeling that the presence of this skeleton added to the mystery of the character—how did he come about it, and how does the rest of Starfleet not know of the species if he does?
Hugh Culber
Hugh Culber (portrayed by
Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz (born Wilson Echevarría; December 27, 1973) is an American actor known for playing Rickie Vasquez on ''My So-Called Life'', Angel in the Broadway tour production of ''Rent (musical), Rent'', Hugh Culber, Dr. Hugh Culber on ''Star Tr ...
) is a medical officer of the ''Discovery''. Culber is married to Paul Stamets. They are jointly the first openly gay characters in a Star Trek series. Ash Tyler kills Culber in episode 10 of the first season. Culber later returns to life in season 2 after it is discovered that he was duplicated and trapped within the mycelial network before being rescued. On creating the first gay couple in a ''Star Trek'' series, Cruz said he "felt like it was a long time coming.... What's great about the way that the show is handling it is it's not like we are having a special two-hour episode about gay relationships in space. It's not that. They just happen to be in love, and they happen to be coworkers. And, I hope by the time we get to he 23rdcentury that it will be exactly like that." In 2019, Hugh Culber was ranked the 10th-sexiest ''Star Trek'' character by
Syfy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
.
Christopher Pike
Christopher Pike (portrayed by
Anson Mount
Anson Adams Mount IV (born February 25, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cullen Bohannon in the AMC western drama series ''Hell on Wheels'', as Jim Steele on the NBC series ''Conviction'' (2006), as the Marvel Co ...
) is captain of the USS ''Enterprise''. After the first season concluded with the ''Discovery'' receiving a distress call from the ''Enterprise'', specifically from Pike, Harberts expressed interest in exploring that character in the second season, feeling that he had not been seen much in ''Star Trek'' previously and so "there's an interesting opportunity that we might have to delve into and flesh out a character who I think is a pretty darn heroic and selfless captain." In April 2018, Mount was cast as Pike, which was described as a "key role" for the season. He revealed in July 2018 that he was contracted as a main cast member for the full season.
Jeffrey Hunter
Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...
portrays Captain Pike in footage from the original 1965 ''Star Trek''
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
"
The Cage
The Cage may refer to:
Sports
* West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", as of 1978, a public venue for amateur basketball in New York City
* Al-Shorta Stadium, 1990-2014, former football stadium of Al-Shorta SC, nicknamed "The Cage ...
", used in a recap that plays at the start of the ''Star Trek: Discovery'' season two episode " If Memory Serves".
Cleveland "Book" Booker
Cleveland "Book" Booker (portrayed by
David Ajala
David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in ''Supergirl'' (20182019), Captain Roy Eris in ''Nightflyers'' (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (2020present).
E ...
) is a character introduced in the third season of ''Star Trek: Discovery.'' A resident of the new future created after Control's defeat, he becomes Michael's companion when she goes to the future before the Discovery itself, and her new love interest. He is also shown to own a
cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
named Grudge.
Nhan
Commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
Nhan (portrayed by Rachael Ancheril) is an engineer and security officer. She initially serves on board the ''
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
'' but later transfers to the ''Discovery'' along with two of her crewmates. Nhan is later appointed chief of security aboard the ''Discovery''.
Jett Reno
Jett Reno (portrayed by
Tig Notaro
Mathilde O'Callaghan "Tig" Notaro (born March 24, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actress. She is known for her deadpan comedy. Her acclaimed album ''Live'' was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Be ...
) is the chief engineer of the USS ''Hiawatha''. Notaro joined the series because of an existing relationship with Kurtzman, who had the part written for the actress. The character was originally named Denise Reno but Notaro was able to rename the character and changed it to Jett Reno. Reno possesses a sardonic, deadpan sense of humor, and is often at odds with Stamets. She frequently uses references to 20th-century engineering technology, such as fixing things with duct tape, using a battery-operated power drill, etc.
Recurring characters
Introduced in a previous series
Sarek
Sarek (portrayed by
James Frain
James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/ CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwi ...
) is a Vulcan ambassador and astrophysicist, the father of Spock, and the adoptive father of Michael Burnham. Frain appears as a younger version of the character who was first portrayed by
Mark Lenard
Mark Lenard (born Leonard Rosenson, October 15, 1924 – November 22, 1996) was an American actor, primarily in television. His most famous role was as Sarek, father of Spock, in the science fiction ''Star Trek'' franchise, in both the origina ...
in the original ''Star Trek'' series episode "
Journey to Babel
"Journey to Babel" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on November 17, 1967.
In the episode, ...
".
Harry Mudd
Harcourt Fenton "Harry" Mudd (portrayed by
Rainn Wilson
Rainn Percival Dietrich Wilson (born January 20, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, producer, and writer. He is best known for his role as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom ''The Office'', for which he earned three consecutive Emm ...
) is a charismatic con-man. In March 2017, Wilson was cast as a younger version of the character first played by Roger C. Carmel in the original ''Star Trek'' series episode "
Mudd's Women
"Mudd's Women" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Stephen Kandel, based on a story by Gene Roddenberry, and directed by Harvey Hart, it first aired on October 13, ...
". He described his version as "a reimagining, a reinvention in the same way so many things have been reimagined and reinvented. He's a bit more dastardly than the original. But that character made such an impression on me, and it is a dream come true to try to bring him to life with as much drama and comedy as possible." Wilson "stole a lot of things that I loved from armel'sperformance, and then added a lot more of my own."
Spock
Spock (portrayed by
Ethan Peck
Ethan Gregory Peck (born March 2, 1986) is an American actor. He is the grandson of actor Gregory Peck and Greta Kukkonen, the elder Peck's first wife. In 2019, he played a young Spock in '' Star Trek: Discovery'' (2019), a role he has reprised fo ...
) is Sarek's son, and therefore Burnham's foster brother. An officer on the ''Enterprise'' serving under Pike, he plays a prominent recurring role in the second season.
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
portrays Spock in footage from the original 1965 ''Star Trek''
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
"
The Cage
The Cage may refer to:
Sports
* West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", as of 1978, a public venue for amateur basketball in New York City
* Al-Shorta Stadium, 1990-2014, former football stadium of Al-Shorta SC, nicknamed "The Cage ...
", used in a recap that plays at the start of the ''Star Trek: Discovery'' season two episode " If Memory Serves". A holorecording of Nimoy's Spock, from the Next Generation episode " Unification, Part 2" also appears in the third season episode, "Unification III".
Introduced in season one
Philippa Georgiou
Philippa Georgiou (portrayed by
Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, ( ; born 6 August 1962) is a Malaysian actress. Credited as Michelle Khan in her early Hong Kong films, she rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in a series of Hong Kong action films where she performed her own ...
) is the captain of the ''USS Shenzhou (NCC-1227)''. Georgiou has a "mother and daughter" relationship with Burnham after the latter joins the ''Shenzhou''. Yeoh chose to retain her Malaysian Chinese accent for the role, another way the series diversified its cast.
Georgiou is killed in hand-to-hand combat by the Klingon warrior T'Kuvma in the aftermath of the Battle at the Binary Stars. Later in season one, the
Mirror Universe
The Mirror Universe is the setting of several narratives in the '' Star Trek'' science fiction franchise, a parallel universe existing alongside, but separate from, the fictional universe that is the main setting of ''Star Trek''. It resembles ...
Georgiou is introduced. Her official title is, "Mother of the Fatherland, Overlord of Vulcan, Dominus of
Qo'nos
The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''.
Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids ...
, Regina Andor, Philippa Georgiou Augustus Iaponius Centaurius". In this universe, she is the ruthless
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of the
Terran Empire
The Mirror Universe is the setting of several narratives in the ''Star Trek'' science fiction franchise, a parallel universe existing alongside, but separate from, the fictional universe that is the main setting of ''Star Trek''. It resembles t ...
and adoptive mother of that universe's Michael Burnham. She is brought over to the show's prime universe by its Burnham, and later joins Section 31. After being transported into the future, she begins experiencing deterioration and agrees to allow the
Guardian of Forever
"The City on the Edge of Forever" is the twenty-eighth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Harlan Ellison, contributors and/or editors to the script included S ...
Emily Coutts
Emily Coutts is a Canadian actress. She is known for portraying Keyla Detmer, a bridge officer, on the Paramount+ series '' Star Trek: Discovery''.
A graduate of York University's drama program, Coutts has written, produced, and starred in seve ...
) as ''Discovery''s helmsman, previously serving on the ''Shenzhou''.
Six months after the destruction of the ''Shenzhou'', Detmer was promoted to full lieutenant and was assigned to serve as helm officer under Captain Gabriel Lorca on the ''Discovery''. She is depicted as having cybernetic implants on the left side of her face, including her left eye, to compensate for injuries received during the Battle of the Binary Stars.
L'Rell
L'Rell (portrayed by
Mary Chieffo
Mary Elizabeth Chieffo (born November 7, 1992) is an American actress known for portraying the Klingon '' L'Rell'' on the television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''.
Biography
Chieffo was born and grew up in the neighborhood of Valley Village, ...
) becomes the chancellor of the Klingon Empire after being a battle deck commander for a Klingon warship. L'Rell is a member of both the house of T'Kuvma and the house of Mo'Kai, the latter having been first mentioned during '' Star Trek: Voyager''. Chieffo said that because of this, there would be an "interesting exploration of what it is to be of two different ideologies" with the character. Chieffo looked back at past female Klingons seen in ''Star Trek'' for inspiration, and said that she wanted L'Rell to follow in the vein of Grilka from ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
''.
Kol
Kol (introduced and later dies in season one, portrayed by Kenneth Mitchell) is the commanding officer of the Klingon military, and an opponent of T'Kuvma's goals. Kol is a member of the house of Kor, a character portrayed by
John Colicos
John Colicos (December 10, 1928 – March 6, 2000) was a Canadian actor. He performed on stage and television in the United States and Canada.
Career
Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father and a Canadian mother.
In 1957 he app ...
in the original series and ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
''. Mitchell described Kol as both "complicated" and "powerful", and said that he studied Colicos's "subtle" performance and read the novel ''
The Final Reflection
''The Final Reflection'' is a 1984 ''Star Trek'' tie-in novel by John M. Ford which emphasizes developments of Klingon language and culture. The novel provided the foundation for the FASA ''Star Trek'' role-playing game sourcebooks dealing with t ...
'' to prepare. In the ''Star Trek'' science fiction universe, Klingons live long enough that characters like Kor, who were alive at the time of Kirk (the 2260s) can still be alive at the time of Picard, Sisko, and Janeway in the 2360–70s. (Kenneth Mitchell also portrayed Kol-Sha, the father of Kol, in the season 2 episode " Point of Light".)
Katrina Cornwell
Katrina Cornwell (portrayed by
Jayne Brook
Jayne Brook (born Jane Anderson) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Dr. Diane Grad on the medical drama ''Chicago Hope'', as a series regular for five of the show's six seasons, and Mary Ann Mitchell on ''The District'' from 200 ...
) is a Starfleet admiral. She appears several times as Captain Lorca's direct superior and later confidant. She and Lorca had a previous romantic relationship. She was captured by the Klingons while replacing Sarek as a peace envoy and held on the Klingon Ship of the Dead. Surviving her ordeal she forms an odd non-friendship with L'Rell and is later rescued by Burnham and Tyler.
Her background is in mental health and psychology, which was vital in breaking Tyler out of a PTSD flashback long enough to aid in the escape from the Sarcophagus ship. After her rescue she returns to Starfleet, where she later sacrifices her life to save the Enterprise in the battle against Control-Leland.
Additional characters introduced in season one
Additionally, appearing throughout the first season are Ali Momen as Kamran Gant, Chris Violette as Britch Weeton,
Romaine Waite
Romaine Waite is a Canadian actor. His most notable works include '' The Mist and Star Trek: Discovery''.
Early life
Waite was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica. He moved to Canada and spent his adolescent years in Brampton, Ontario.
Career
W ...
as Troy Januzzi, Sara Mitich (in season one) and
Hannah Cheesman
Hannah Cheesman is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. As a performer, Cheesman is known for portraying Lieutenant Commander Airiam in the second season of the CBS television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''. As a filmmaker, Cheesman has written an ...
(in season two) as Airiam, Mitich takes the role of Lieutenant NilssonAiriam's replacement on the ''Discovery'' bridgein season two;
Oyin Oladejo
Oyin Oladejo (born in Ibadan, Nigeria) is a Nigerian-born Canadian actress, known for portraying Joann Owosekun on the television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''.
Life
Oladejo was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, and grew up in Lagos. She moved to C ...
Conrad Coates
Conrad Coates (born July 12, 1970) is a British-born Canadian actor and teacher. He is best known for his roles as Morgan in ''The Dresden Files'' and in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as Jimmy Brooks' father.
Biography
Early life
Coates ...
as Terral, and
Patrick Kwok-Choon
Patrick Kwok-Choon (born 19 November 1988) is a Canadian actor, best known for his recurring roles as Perry Crofte in the television adaptation of the horror Western comic book miniseries '' Wynonna Earp'' and as lieutenant commander Gen Rhy ...
as Gen Rhys. The Osnullus (either the character's name or species) can be seen in several episodes as bridge crew, science officers or other background characters. Actress Avaah Blackwell portrays the bridge officer version of the character, an ensign (identified as a female in her social media channels).
Tasia Valenza
Tasia Valenza (born April 5, 1967) is an American actress.
Personal life
Tasia Valenza is the daughter of former actor and restaurant consultant Frank Valenza and Gloria Valenza. Her twin brother is a former television writer and now solar mark ...
and Julianne Grossman voice the computers of the ''Shenzhou'' and the ''Discovery'', respectively.
Introduced in season two
Nilsson
Lt. Nilsson (portrayed by Sara Mitich) is an operations officer on the bridge of the ''Discovery''. Mitich portrayed Airiam in season one of the show, before that role was taken over by
Hannah Cheesman
Hannah Cheesman is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. As a performer, Cheesman is known for portraying Lieutenant Commander Airiam in the second season of the CBS television series '' Star Trek: Discovery''. As a filmmaker, Cheesman has written an ...
for season two, while Mitich began recurring as Nilsson in season twowho eventually takes the bridge position of the deceased ("
Project Daedalus
Project Daedalus (named after Daedalus, the Greek mythological designer who crafted wings for human flight) was a study conducted between 1973 and 1978 by the British Interplanetary Society to design a plausible uncrewed interstellar probe.Proj ...
") Airiam.
Guest characters
Introduced in a previous series
*
Amanda Grayson
Amanda is a Latin feminine gerundive (i.e. verbal adjective) name meaning, literally, “she who must (or is fit to) be loved”. Other translations, with similar meaning, could be "deserving to be loved," "worthy of love," or "loved very much b ...
(portrayed by
Mia Kirshner
Mia Kirshner (born January 25, 1975) is a Canadian actress, writer and social activist. She is known for television roles as Mandy in '' 24'' (2001–2005), as Jenny Schecter in ''The L Word'' (2004–2009), as Amanda Grayson in '' Star Trek: D ...
): The human wife of Sarek. Kirshner appears as a younger version of the character who was first portrayed by
Jane Wyatt
Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marg ...
in the original ''Star Trek'' television series episode "
Journey to Babel
"Journey to Babel" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by D. C. Fontana and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on November 17, 1967.
In the episode, ...
".
* Stella Mudd (portrayed by
Katherine Barrell
Katherine Barrell is a Canadian actress, writer, producer, and director. She is best known for her role as Sheriff Nicole Haught in the Syfy supernatural weird West television series ''Wynonna Earp''. In 2020, she joined the cast of the fan ...
): Harry Mudd's wife. An android replica of the character was previously portrayed by Kay Elliot in the original ''Star Trek'' series episode "
I, Mudd
"I, Mudd" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Stephen Kandel (based on a story by Gene Roddenberry) and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on Novem ...
".
*
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1' ...
(portrayed by
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie O'Connell (née Romijn ; born November 6, 1972) is an American actress and former model (person), model. She is known for her role as Mystique (comics), Mystique in the original trilogy (2000–2006) of the X-Men (film series), ...
): First Officer to Pike on the ''Enterprise'', first portrayed by
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
"
The Cage
The Cage may refer to:
Sports
* West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", as of 1978, a public venue for amateur basketball in New York City
* Al-Shorta Stadium, 1990-2014, former football stadium of Al-Shorta SC, nicknamed "The Cage ...
". "The Cage" studio pilot was not released to the public until a 1986 VHS release. However, segments of "The Cage" were used for the 1966 episode " The Menagerie" and broadcast on television at that time as part of season 1, including scenes with Majel Barrett as Pike's 'Number One'.
** Barrett portrays 'Number One' in footage from "The Cage" used in a recap that plays at the start of the ''Star Trek: Discovery'' season two episode " If Memory Serves".
* Vina (portrayed by
Melissa George
Melissa George (born 6 August 1976) is an Australian actress and entrepreneur. A former national artistic rollerskating champion and model, George began her acting career playing Angel Parrish in the Australian soap opera Home and Away (1993– ...
): Sole survivor of Earth science expedition that crashed on planet Talos IV, first portrayed by
Susan Oliver
Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...
in the original ''Star Trek'' pilot "The Cage".
** Oliver portrays Vina in footage from "The Cage" used in a recap that plays at the start of the ''Star Trek: Discovery'' season two episode "If Memory Serves".
* Yeoman Colt (portrayed by Nicole Dickinson): A member of the ''Enterprise'' bridge crew, first portrayed by
Laurel Goodwin
Laurel Goodwin (August 11, 1942 – February 25, 2022) was an American film and television actress who is known for her role as the love interest of Elvis Presley in the 1962 film ''Girls! Girls! Girls!'', as well as appearing as Yeoman J.M. Col ...
in "The Cage". Colt was a human woman in the original series, but appears in ''Discovery'' as a seemingly alien character with spiky red skin.
* Carl (portrayed by
Paul Guilfoyle
Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He return ...
): The avatar of the
Guardian of Forever
"The City on the Edge of Forever" is the twenty-eighth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Harlan Ellison, contributors and/or editors to the script included S ...
from the original series episode "
The City on the Edge of Forever
"The City on the Edge of Forever" is the twenty-eighth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Harlan Ellison, contributors and/or editors to the script included ...
." In the two part episode " Terra Firma" of season 3, the crew of the ''Discovery'' seeks out a cure for Philippa Georgiou's illness coming from her displacement in time and from the mirror universe. As Carl, the Guardian of Forever tests Georgiou before sending her back in time to a place where the prime and mirror universes are still aligned and she can thus survive.
Introduced in season one
* T'Kuvma (portrayed by Chris Obi): The leader of an ancient
Klingon
The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''.
Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
house who wants to unite all of the Klingon houses.
* Ellen Landry (portrayed by
Rekha Sharma
Rekha Shanti Sharma is a Canadian actress of Indo-Fijian descent, best known for her role as Tory Foster on ''Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series), Battlestar Galactica,'' and List of Star Trek: Discovery characters#Guest characters, Ellen Land ...
): Security officer for the ''Discovery''.
*
Clint Howard
Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His 200-plus acting credits include feature films such as ...
portrays an Orion drug dealer who Tilly encounters on Qo'noS. The role was written specifically for Howard, adding to his previous appearances in the franchise, with guest roles on episodes of ''
Star Trek: The Original Series
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
'' (
in 1995
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Independ ...
), and ''
Star Trek: Enterprise
''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' (
in 2002
IN, In or in may refer to:
Places
* India (country code IN)
* Indiana, United States (postal code IN)
* Ingolstadt, Germany (license plate code IN)
* In, Russia, a town in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Businesses and organizations
* Independ ...
).
Introduced in season two
* Leland (portrayed by Alan van Sprang): A Section 31 agent. Van Sprang was cast for the original ending of the first season, but the scene was cut and later released separately online along with confirmation that he would continue to play the part in the second season.
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...