Star Trek: Why Mary Wiseman Isn’t In Starfleet Academy Cast

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 8 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, titled “The Life of the Stars.” Mary Wiseman and the show’s producers have explained why Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly isn’t a regular member of the main cast. The episode, written by Gaia Violo and Jane Maggs and directed by Andi Armaganian, features Tilly’s return to help the cadets deal with the emotional aftermath of the events that occurred on the USS Miyazaki in episode 6.

As a longtime fan of Star Trek: Discovery, I was really surprised by Mary Wiseman’s limited role in the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series. We saw her character, Tilly, transfer to teach at the Academy back in season four of Discovery, so I expected her to be a regular face. Instead, she just appears as a guest star in a single episode of Starfleet Academy‘s first season. It’s a bit disappointing to see a character with so much potential sidelined like that.

Mary Wiseman recently spoke with ScreenRant about the new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. She explained she doesn’t know the specific reasons why she wasn’t a main cast member, calling it something beyond her understanding. Wiseman clarified that Starfleet Academy isn’t a continuation of Discovery, but a separate show, and she’s happy to have been invited to make a cameo appearance. See her comments below.

ScreenRant asked about my role on Discovery after the relaunch of Starfleet Academy. They were curious why I’m appearing as a guest star instead of a regular professor like Tig Notaro and Bob Picardo, and wanted to know the reason behind that decision.

I’m not entirely involved in the details of Tilly’s work, but as I understand it, she’s been working with the third-year students, almost like she’s been on assignment with them in the Beta Quadrant. That’s why you don’t see her at the school often. I’m just happy whenever I get to return and participate. They’re also building their own separate show – it’s not a continuation of Discovery, it’s a new project entirely. I respect those creative choices and I’m thankful for any opportunities I have to be involved when I can.

I was so excited to hear that Mary Wiseman, who plays Tilly, is working with the third-year cadets! It really got me thinking… if Starfleet Academy gets another season, does that mean we’ll get to see Tilly – and Mary – a lot more? I’m really hoping so! It would be amazing to follow her journey as she mentors the next generation of Starfleet officers.

Mary Wiseman: I think you and I should just cross our fingers.

Noga Landau and Gaia Violo, the executive producers of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, recently explained to John Orquiola at ScreenRant why the character Tilly appears unexpectedly later in the season.

We’re huge fans of Mary Wiseman, and we really wanted to introduce her character, Tilly, in a way that would have the biggest impact. We decided to have her appear a bit later in the season, after building anticipation. We felt that if she’d been introduced right away with the established characters like The Doctor, Jett Reno, and Admiral Vance, it wouldn’t have been as memorable. Bringing her in later allowed us to give her the spotlight she deserves and make her introduction truly special.

We wanted to create a storyline that resonated with Mary personally. Learning that ‘Our Town’ had been so important to her childhood and development as an actress was really meaningful. It felt essential to her character’s emotional arc following the events inspired by Miyazaki, and ultimately, it felt like the only way to tell that story in episode eight.

Mary Wiseman suggested that her character, Tilly, might be too strongly associated with Star Trek: Discovery, and the producers didn’t want the new show, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, to feel like a continuation of Discovery. While Tig Notaro returns as Commander Jett Reno in Starfleet Academy, she was a guest star on Discovery, unlike Wiseman who was a core cast member.

Like Jett Reno, played by Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr’s Admiral Charles Vance was initially a guest character on Star Trek: Discovery. Given his position as the highest-ranking officer in Starfleet, it makes sense that Vance appears in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy to assist Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter), a longtime friend he personally selected to lead the Academy.

It was surprising that Mary Wiseman, who played Tilly, wasn’t a regular or even a recurring character in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. In Season 4 of Star Trek: Discovery, Tilly played a key role in rebuilding Starfleet Academy after The Burn, and even had a whole episode focused on her and some cadets being stranded on an ice planet. By Season 5 of Discovery, Tilly had established herself as an instructor at the Academy.

The series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reveals that Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly is an instructor for third-year cadets in the Beta Quadrant, which opens up exciting potential storylines if the show gets a third season. If Paramount+ renews Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Captain Ake’s best students might get the chance to learn from Professor Tilly as the cadets finish their four-year education.

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2026-02-26 14:45