List of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds characters

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(Redirected from La'an Noonien-Singh)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an American television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for the streaming service Paramount+. It is the eleventh Star Trek series and was launched in 2022 as part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe. A spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery, it follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, and Rebecca Romijn respectively star as Pike, Spock, and Number One, all characters from The Original Series. These actors were cast in the roles for the second season of Discovery, and were confirmed to be returning for the spin-off in May 2020. Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, Babs Olusanmokun, and Bruce Horak also star. Many of the regular actors and several guest stars portray younger versions of characters from The Original Series in Strange New Worlds.

The following list includes the main cast of Strange New Worlds, all guest characters with recurring roles, and a supplementary list of other guests.

Overview[edit]

  = Main cast (credited)
  = Recurring cast (3+)
  = Guest cast (1-2)
Actor Character Seasons
1 2
Main cast
Anson Mount Christopher "Chris" Pike Main
Ethan Peck Spock Main
Jess Bush Christine Chapel Main
Christina Chong La'an Noonien-Singh Main
Celia Rose Gooding Nyota Uhura Main
Melissa Navia Erica Ortegas Main
Babs Olusanmokun Joseph M'Benga Main
Bruce Horak Hemmer Main Guest
Rebecca Romijn Una Chin-Riley / Number One Main
Recurring cast
Dan Jeannotte Sam Kirk Recurring
Rong Fu Jenna Mitchell Recurring
Gia Sandhu T'Pring Recurring Guest
Adrian Holmes Robert April Guest Recurring
Melanie Scrofano Marie Batel Guest Recurring
Paul Wesley James T. Kirk Special guest Recurring
Carol Kane Pelia Does not appear Recurring
Special guests and legacy characters
Matthew Wolf Montgomery Scott Voice Does not appear
Martin Quinn Does not appear Guest
Mia Kirshner Amanda Grayson Does not appear Guest
Tawny Newsome Beckett Mariner Does not appear Special guest
Jack Quaid Brad Boimler Does not appear Special guest
Noël Wells D'Vana Tendi Does not appear Special guest
Eugene Cordero Sam Rutherford Does not appear Special guest
Jerry O'Connell Jack Ransom Does not appear Special guest


Main characters[edit]

Christopher Pike[edit]

Main article: Christopher Pike (Star Trek)

Christopher Pike (portrayed by Anson Mount) is the captain of the USS Enterprise,[1] who struggles with the knowledge that he will suffer a horrible fate.[2] Pike was first portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter in The Original Series as a "gruff, authoritative commander" who Mount described as "first act Pike... a very young man [who is] very self-involved". In contrast, Mount's "second act Pike" is confident, collaborative, and empathetic. Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman believed that a "more thoughtful and contemporary approach" was required to avoid the toxic masculinity of some previous Star Trek captains, and Mount said his Pike represented "true masculinity". Inspired by Mount's own leadership style, Pike's quarters include a kitchen where he convenes the crew, cooks for them, and builds consensus.[3] Pike's hairstyle was widely commented on, drawing comparisons to Elvis Presley and the title character of the animated series Johnny Bravo, spawning various Internet memes and its own fan-run Twitter account,[4][5] and being called "the best hair quiff on television".[6] Mount enjoyed this and attributed the style to "hair guru" Daniel Losco.[5][6]

Spock[edit]

Main article: Spock

Spock (portrayed by Ethan Peck) is a half-Vulcan, half-human science officer aboard the Enterprise.[1] The series explores the character's struggle to be accepted among Vulcans as well as the complicated relationship with his fiancée T'Pring,[7] with co-showrunner Henry Alonso Myers acknowledging that the writers were interpreting some of The Original Series differently than fans had previously done in order to expand on T'Pring's role in this stage of Spock's life.[8] Peck said he was "constantly checking in" with original actor Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of Spock, but he also wanted to "have an experience as Spock" and not focus on the outcome for the character.[7]

Christine Chapel[edit]

Main article: Christine Chapel

Christine Chapel (portrayed by Jess Bush) is a civilian nurse on the Enterprise.[9] Myers felt the character's portrayal in The Original Series came from a "very different conception of women and of marriage and what people would do in their jobs" that modern audiences would not expect, and sought to tell new stories inspired by Bush's strengths.[10] Bush said the character had a "distinct essence" but also felt there was room to explore her youth and backstory; the actress focused on the character's "dry and sarcastic" personality and developed that into a sense of humor for the younger version. The series explores a friendship and potential romance between Chapel and Spock.[11]

La'an Noonien-Singh[edit]

La'an Noonien-Singh (portrayed by Christina Chong) is the Enterprise's newly assigned chief of security,[9] whose family was murdered by the lizard-like Gorn when she was a child.[12] Chong described the character as guarded and struggling with survivor's guilt but noted that she opens up as the series goes on and the crew of the Enterprise becomes her new family. Serving as security chief allows her to protect that family.[13] La'an is also a descendant of Ricardo Montalbán's Star Trek villain Khan Noonien Singh,[12][14] and has been discriminated against because of this. Chong related to this aspect of the character because she was bullied as a child for her ethnicity.[13] Ava Cheung plays young La'an.[15]

Nyota Uhura[edit]

Main article: Nyota Uhura

Nyota Uhura (portrayed by Celia Rose Gooding) is a cadet on the Enterprise specializing in linguistics.[9] Despite the character's important role throughout the Star Trek franchise, the writers felt that there was a lot still unknown about her that could be explored beyond her just being a Starfleet officer.[10][16] As one of their first television acting roles, Gooding related to Uhura's experiences in the series as a cadet who is learning about the Enterprise.[16] The actor chose to keep their own cropped hair rather than wear a wig to match previous Uhura actresses Nichelle Nichols and Zoe Saldaña because they felt they both represented the "black femininity" of their times and they could too with a modern look.[17]

Erica Ortegas[edit]

Erica Ortegas (portrayed by Melissa Navia) is the Enterprise's helmsman,[9] who Navia described as a "highly skilled pilot [and] a veteran... she can handle a gun and also crack a joke". The actress compared Ortegas to Jonathan Frakes's Next Generation character William Riker, one of her favorite Star Trek characters.[18] Navia worked with John Van Citters—the vice president of Star Trek brand management at CBS Studios—and the series' motion graphics team, who create the display for Ortegas's on-set control panel, to understand how to fly the Enterprise accurately.[19] Ortegas's surname is a reference to the original Star Trek pitch which included a navigator named Jose Ortegas.[20][21]

Joseph M'Benga[edit]

Further information: Joseph M'Benga

Joseph M'Benga (portrayed by Babs Olusanmokun) is the Enterprise's chief medical officer,[9] who is secretly trying to cure his daughter, Rukiya, of a rare disease.[22] M'Benga was not given a first name in The Original Series, but was referred to as Joseph in the script for the unproduced episode "Shol".[23] Posters at the 2022 Star Trek: Mission Chicago convention referred to the character as "Jabilo", a name used in some non-canon novels, but the producers soon stated that this was incorrect and the name Joseph was eventually used in Strange New Worlds.[24][25] Olusanmokun felt he was "crafting something anew" with his portrayal since M'Benga only appears in two episodes of The Original Series.[26]

Hemmer[edit]

Hemmer (portrayed by Bruce Horak; season 1) is the Enterprise's chief engineer. Hemmer is an Aenar, which are an albino subspecies of Andorians that are generally depicted as blind; Horak is blind in one eye with limited sight in the other,[9] and the first legally blind regular actor in a Star Trek series.[27] The writers always intended for Hemmer to die in the first season as a way to increase the series' stakes since most of the main characters are still alive in The Original Series.[28] Horak was told about this when he was first cast and hoped to build the character into a "fan favorite" first. He compared the role to the Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi, serving as a mentor to the young Uhura.[27]

Number One[edit]

Main article: Number One (Star Trek)

Una Chin-Riley / Number One (portrayed by Rebecca Romijn) is the first officer of the Enterprise and second-in-command to Pike,[1][9] the character was only referred to as "Number One" in The Original Series but was given the name Una Chin-Riley in several non-canon Star Trek novels; Strange New Worlds brings this name into official canon.[9] The series confirms that Number One is an Illyrian, which Original Series writer D.C. Fontana had established in the novel Vulcan's Glory (1989), and reveals that Illyrians genetically modify themselves. This explains why Number One appears human when the Illyrians seen in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Damage" do not, and also aligns with the description of Illyrians practicing "selective breeding" in the novel Child of Two Worlds by Greg Cox. The Strange New Worlds writers believed it would be interesting for Number One to be at odds with Starfleet's anti-genetic alteration laws.[29]

Recurring characters[edit]

Robert April[edit]

Main article: Robert April

Robert April (portrayed by Adrian Holmes) is a Starfleet admiral and the Enterprise's first captain who is a mentor to Pike.[30][31]

Sam Kirk[edit]

George Samuel "Sam" Kirk (portrayed by Dan Jeannotte) is a life sciences officer aboard the Enterprise and elder brother to future captain James T. Kirk. Myers said Sam and James were very different and the series would explore their complex relationship.[31]

T'Pring[edit]

Main article: T'Pring

T'Pring (portrayed by Gia Sandhu) is Spock's fiancée, with whom he has been bonded since childhood.[32] Myers said the character was "fun, and thoughtful, and interesting", and allowed Spock to be explored in new ways.[8]

Marie Batel[edit]

Marie Batel (portrayed by Melanie Scrofano) is a Starfleet captain and Pike's "friend with benefits".[33]

James T. Kirk[edit]

Main article: James T. Kirk

James Tiberius Kirk (portrayed by Paul Wesley; season 2, guest season 1) is Sam's younger brother and the future captain of the Enterprise.[34]

Pelia[edit]

Pelia (portrayed by Carol Kane; season 2) is the Lanthanite chief engineer and former professor at Starfleet Academy where she taught a course in warp core breaches.

Guest characters[edit]

  • A leader on Kiley 279 (portrayed by Samantha Smith).[35]
  • Alora (portrayed by Lindy Booth) is a leader on Majalis who is an old flame of Pike's.[36]
  • The First Servant (portrayed by Ian Ho) is a boy on Majalis who was selected at birth to be sacrificed to the machine that runs the paradise-like planet.[36]
  • Gamal (portrayed by Huse Madhavji) is the biological father of the First Servant who tries to save his son from the Majalis machine.[36]
  • Angel (portrayed by Jesse James Keitel) is a pirate captain and the lover of Spock's half-brother Sybok.[37]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Goldberg, Lesley (May 15, 2020). "'Star Trek' Pike and Spock Series Set at CBS All Access". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  2. ^ Otterson, Joe (May 5, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck Boldly Go Back to Franchise's Roots in New Series". Variety. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  3. ^ Roth, Dylan (May 5, 2022). "After 50 years, Captain Pike got the Star Trek show he deserves". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  4. ^ Pesola, Eric (June 11, 2022). "The Surprise Star From 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Is Known as Pike's Peak". Heavy. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Spelling, Ian (June 15, 2022). "A Peek at the Many Peak Memes Devoted to 'Pike's Peak'". Heavy. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Romano, Nick (May 5, 2022). "Anson Mount talks 'Strange New Worlds' and having TV's best hair quiff". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Parker, Ryan (May 19, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Star Ethan Peck Discusses Initial "Nearly Unbearable" Weight of Playing Spock and Profound Fan Appreciation". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Pascale, Anthony (May 5, 2022). "Interview: Henry Alonso Myers On 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Premiere, Pon Farr, And Going Big". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Wright, Matt (September 8, 2021). "Meet The Cast Of 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Ulster, Laurie (May 1, 2022). "Interview: 'Strange New Worlds' Co-Showrunner Henry Alonso Meyers On Updating 'Star Trek' Characters". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Parker, Ryan (June 16, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Actress Jess Bush Talks Honor and Joy of Making Iconic Franchise Character Her Own". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Britt, Ryan (May 26, 2022). "Star Trek writer explains a big Gorn canon twist in 'Strange New Worlds'". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Parker, Ryan (May 26, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Star Christina Chong Discusses Her Heartbreaking Childhood Connection to La'an Noonien-Singh". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  14. ^ Hibberd, James (February 1, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Showrunner Confirms Khan Link". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Sue (May 26, 2022). "SNW Recap s1e4: "Memento Mori"". Women at Warp. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  16. ^ a b Lovett, Jamie (June 9, 2022). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Celia Rose Gooding on Giving Uhura the Backstory She Deserves". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  17. ^ Hatchett, Keisha (April 25, 2022). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Star Celia Rose Gooding: It Was 'Important for Me to Not Put a Wig On' as Uhura". TVLine. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  18. ^ Thompson, Avery (June 8, 2022). "'Strange New Worlds' Star Melissa Navia: The Role Of Ortegas Was 'Meant To Happen' For Me". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  19. ^ Vary, Adam B. (July 2, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Breakout Melissa Navia on Lt. Ortegas' Swordplay and Sexuality: 'Everybody Should Be a Bit Queer'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  20. ^ TrekCore.com [@TrekCore] (April 27, 2022). "The 'Ortegas' name is quite likely an homage to the original #StarTrek pitch, which included a navigator named Jose Ortegas in the starship crew" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ Navia, Melissa [@melissaCnavia] (April 27, 2022). "Can confirm! So, to the few who've been pointing out "but I don't personally know an Ortegas"... 200+ years in the future there is an Ortegas. Her first name is Erica. She is Latina. She is a helmsman. On May 5th, you'll meet her. Then you'll know an Ortegas" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022 – via Twitter.
  22. ^ Britt, Ryan (June 24, 2022). "'Strange New Worlds' just fixed Star Trek canon — and set up a Season 2 villain". Inverse. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  23. ^ Williams, Mike (May 5, 2022). "A Short History Of Dr. M'Benga In The Star Trek Universe". /Film. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  24. ^ Reilly, Ken (April 9, 2022). "Update: M'Benga and Spock Full Names "Incorrect" on Mission Chicago Strange New Worlds Posters". TrekCore.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  25. ^ Pascale, Anthony (June 23, 2022). "Recap/Review: 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Gets Enchanted In "The Elysian Kingdom"". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  26. ^ Parker, Ryan (June 23, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Actor Babs Olusanmokun Talks Classic Throwback Episode and Those Emotional Father-Daughter Moments". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  27. ^ a b Britt, Ryan (June 30, 2022). "'Strange New Worlds' star reveals why [spoilers] had to die". Inverse. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  28. ^ Orquiola, John (July 7, 2022). "Henry Alonso Myers Interview: Star Trek Strange New Worlds". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  29. ^ Britt, Ryan (May 24, 2022). "Is Number One an alien? 'Strange New Worlds' writer explains Illyrian canon". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  30. ^ "'Star Trek: The Animated Series' Writer Welcomes New Robert April On 'Strange New Worlds'". TrekMovie.com. May 2, 2022. Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  31. ^ a b Britt, Ryan (May 5, 2022). "'Strange New Worlds' showrunner unpacks 3 ways it changes Star Trek canon". Inverse. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  32. ^ Petski, Denise (May 4, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds': Gia Sandhu Confirmed To Play T'Pring In Paramount+ Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  33. ^ O'Keefe, Meghan (May 19, 2022). "Anson Mount's Christopher Pike is the 'Star Trek' Captain We Deserve". Decider. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  34. ^ Hibberd, James (March 15, 2022). "'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Casts Captain Kirk: Paul Wesley to Play Iconic Character". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  35. ^ Kaplan, Avery (May 5, 2022). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Recap: (S01E01) Strange New Worlds". Geek Girl Authority. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  36. ^ a b c Whitbrook, James (June 9, 2022). "Strange New Worlds' Darkest Hour Tests Its Limits to the Max". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  37. ^ Joest, Mick (June 19, 2022). "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Jesse James Keitel Explains Why Playing Angel Was 'Refreshing'". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
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