Summary
Star Trek: Starfleet Academyis shaping up to have a stellar cast. Set in the 32nd century era ofStar Trek: Discovery,Starfleet Academywill follow a group of Starfleet cadets as they pursue their dreams and navigate life as young adults.At the end ofDiscoveryseason 2, the USS Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, where they found a crumbling United Federation of Planets devastated by the Burn. As Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew helped rebuild Starfleet and the Federation, Starfleet Academy opened its doors for the first time in over 100 years.
When the 32nd century Starfleet Academy reopened inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4, Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) became an instructor and eventually proposed a mentorship program that will play a role in the upcoming show.Star Trek: Starfleet Academywill be the firstTrekshow to focus on life at the Academy and the first geared toward a young adult audience. But with Holly Hunter andPaul Giamatti inStarfleet Academy’s cast, along with several newcomers and familiarStar Treklegacy characters,Starfleet Academywill have something for everyone.Check outStar Trek: Starfleet Academy’s official logline below:
Star Trek: Starfleet Academyintroduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.
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Star Trek: Discovery’s Lt. Sylvia Tilly plans to start a mentorship program at Starfleet Academy, but who should she choose to serve as mentors?
12Holly Hunter
Portraying the as-yet-unnamed Chancellor of Starfleet Academy
Academy Award winner Holly HunterheadlinesStar Trek: Starfleet Academyas a yet-unnamed Captain and the Academy’s Chancellor. Hunter has shined in films and television shows since the 1980s. After starring in Joel and Ethan Coen’sRaising Arizonaalongside Nicolas Cage in 1987, Hunter became a true Hollywood star.That same year, Hunter also starred as Jane Craig inBroadcast News, which earned her an Oscar win for Best Actress.
Holly Hunter went on to maintain a steady career in film, appearing in movies such asThe Firm; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Thirteen; Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,andThe Big Sick.She also voiced Helen Parr (aka Elastagirl) in Disney/Pixar’sThe IncrediblesandIncredibles 2.In television, Hunter starred as Grace Hanadarko in TNT’sSaving Grace, and had recurring roles onSuccessionandMr. Mayor.
Tawny Newsome, who voices Lt. Beckett Mariner onStar Trek: Lower Decks,is a writer onStar Trek: Starfleet Academy,bringing herTrekknowledge and comedy chops to the new show.
11Paul Giamatti
Portraying an as-yet-unnamed villain
LifelongStar Trekfan Paul Giamatti joinsStar Trek: Starfleet Academyin a recurring role as the series' main villain.Since 1990,Paul Giamatti has portrayed a wide array of characters, appearing consistently in popular films and television shows. Giamatti had supporting roles in classic films such asThe Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, Planet of the Apes(2001), andBig Fat Liar.Giamatti then went on to star inSideways, Cinderella Man(for which he earned an Academy Award nomination),The Illusionist,andLady in the Water.
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Starfleet Academy’s Paul Giamatti is a versatile character actor, meaning that he’s uniquely capable of playing some of Star Trek’s best-loved aliens.
Paul Giamatti won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of John Adams in the 2008 HBO mini-series of the same name. He also starred inFred ClausandBarney’s Version, and appeared in12 Years a Slave, Saving Mr. Banks,andStraight Outta Compton.More recently, Giamatti starred in the Showtime seriesBillionsand was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in 2023’sThe Holdovers.
10Kerrice Brooks
Portraying an as-yet-unnamed Starfleet cadet.
When it comes to the Starfleet cadets who will be at the center ofStar Trek: Starfleet Academy,the show’s creators have chosen to cast up-and-coming stars who are at the beginnings of their careers.Kerrice Brooks' appeared in Netflix’sThe Promand one episode ofOn My Block.
Brooks appears as Ro in theupcoming filmMy Old Ass, which stars Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza, and as Melissa in the upcoming comedyFeeling Randy.She is also an accomplished dancer and has been in music videos for Kelly Rowland and Billie Eilish.Brooks also appeared in Rhianna’sSavage X Fenty Showfor Amazon Prime Video.
9Bella Shepard
Bella Shepard appeared as an unnamed young girl in an episode of Netflix’sGrace and Frankie, and as a young Aleida Diaz in an episode ofOrange is the New Black. She starred in the television seriesOn the Ropes, A Girl Named Jo,and TwoSides.Shepard has appeared in episodes of Amazon’sThe Wildsand Paramount+‘siCarly.
InParamount+‘sWolf Pack,Shepard portrayed Blake Navarro, one of the main characters, alongside Sarah Michelle Geller’s Kristin Ramsey.Shepard will also appear in the upcoming Netflix Christmas comedy,The Merry Gentlemen,starring Britt Robertson and Chad Michael Murray.
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Star Trek: Discovery’s ending left several unanswered questions that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will need to address.
8George Hawkins
Star Trek: Starfleet Academywill be George Hawkins’ first major American television role. He has previously appeared in the 2021 filmBoiling Pointand 2023’sGassed Up,as well as multiple short films.
Hawkins portrayed Dylan in season 2 of the British teen dramaTell Me Everything,which explores mental health through the lens of British teens in today’s society of technology and social media.Tell Me Everythinghas received mostly positive reviews, and has been compared to theBritish teen dramaSkins,which aired from 2007 to 2013.
7Karim Diané
A talented singer who appeared as a contestant onThe X Factor,Karim Diané’s first television role was onStartUp, starring Adam Brody.Diané also appeared in the television seriesSolveand has had roles in several short films.
Most recently,Diané portrayed Kris Greene inPeacock’sOne Of Us Is Lying, based on the popular young adult book of the same name by Karen M. McManus.Diané is also set to star as Posh in the upcoming Hulu comedy series1266,starring Gabourey Sidibe.
6Zoë Steiner
In her first television role,Zoë Steiner portrayed Hanna in the British drama seriesSignificant Others.She has also appeared in multiple short films and music videos. Although much aboutStar Trek’supcoming seriesremains unknown, the show is building an impressive cast and crew.
5Sandro Rosta
Playing an as-yet unnamed Starfleet cadet
The sixth and finalStar Trek: Starfleet Academycast member playing a cadet is Sandro Rosta. A British Canadian actor and model, Rosta is an Oxford School of Drama graduate. Sandro starred as Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet,” Trofimov in “The Cherry Orchard” and Tom Musgrave in “The Watsons” at the Jermyn Street Theatre.
Rosta recently made his professional debut in “The Harmony Test” at Hampstead Theatre.Star Trek: Starfleet Academymarks Sandro Rosta’s big break on a Paramount+ TV series and part of theStar Trekfranchise.
4Mary Wiseman
Reprising Lt. Sylvia Tilly from Star Trek: Discovery
The most widely expectedStar Trek: Discoverycast memberto joinStar Trek: Starfleet Academyis Mary Wiseman, who is confirmed to reprise Lt. Sylvia Tilly.Starfleet Academy,as a spinoff, was built around Tilly,who chose to leave the USS Discovery inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4 to become an instructor at the newly reopened Starfleet Academy. Tilly also led a group of cadets on an ill-fated mission inStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4.
It will be fascinating to see Tilly teach at the Academy.
Lt. Sylvia Tilly joiningStar Trek: Starfleet Academywill follow through with the mentorship program she planned to institute at theend ofStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5.Starfleet Academycan also continue Tilly’s budding romance with Lt. Jax(Gary Caldone), who may also return. It will be fascinating to see Tilly teach at the Academy and influence the cadets’ young minds with her knowledge and enthusiasm.
3Oded Fehr
Reprising Admiral Charles Vance from Star Trek: Discovery
Oded Fehr returns as Admiral Charles Vance inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, which is a logical choice. The Commander in Chief of Starfleet, Vance is a rareStarfleet Admiral who isn’t corrupt or power-mad. Rather,Admiral Vance proved himself to be a compassionate and forward-thinking leader.No great fan of Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) at first, Vance came to appreciate and rely upon Burnham and the USS Discovery inStar Trek: Discovery’s final 3 seasons.
Admiral Vance makes perfect sense to return in Starfleet Academy.
InStar Trek: Discoveryseason 4, Admiral Vance also came to respect and admire Lt. Sylvia Tilly. A dedicated family man, Admiral Vance makes perfect sense to return inStarfleet Academyashe would have a vested interest in the young cadets who will make up the future of Starfleet.It’s also possible Vance and Holly Hunter’s Starfleet Academy Chancellor could have an interesting working relationship, and perhaps, contrasting visions about how Starfleet Academy should be run.
