Starfleet Academy Cast Guide: All New & Returning Characters (& Their Alien Races Explained)

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As a huge Star Trek fan, I’m really excited about the new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy! It’s a spin-off from Discovery and takes place way into the future – the 32nd century, right after the Federation was rebuilt. The show focuses on the very first class at the new Starfleet Academy, so you get a mix of seasoned teachers and a bunch of fresh-faced students. Honestly, it feels a lot like Star Trek’s take on Hogwarts – a great way to see a new generation of Starfleet officers begin their journey!

Understandably, the new show Starfleet Academy won’t have quite as many familiar faces from the older series – you likely won’t see Captain Picard make an appearance, though there will be plenty of hidden references for fans to spot. Here’s a guide to the actors, characters, and alien races featured in Starfleet Academy.

Returning Star Trek Actors

The most prominent returning character in the new Starfleet Academy series is the Doctor, the Emergency Medical Hologram who first appeared in Star Trek: Voyager. Over time, he’s become a guide and mentor to newer characters. Actor Robert Picardo, who plays the Doctor, is also known for his roles in shows like Stargate, Dickinson, and The Mentalist. Picardo is thrilled to be back in live-action Star Trek and jokingly compares himself to Yoda, a wise mentor figure.

Captain Picardo will be reunited with two familiar faces from Discovery. Mary Wiseman returns as Sylvia Tilly, a beloved character and close friend of Michael Burnham, who previously left Discovery to aid in rebuilding the Federation. While Tilly is returning, it’s currently unknown how significant her role will be – it may be just a brief appearance.

Tig Notaro returns as Jett Reno, the engineer rescued by the USS Discovery in Season 2. Reno, known for her sarcastic humor, is a fan favorite and promises plenty of funny interactions with the ship’s younger crew members.

Starfleet Academy’s Teaching Staff & Crew

Award-winning actress Holly Hunter, known for roles in films like The Piano and as the voice of Elasti-Girl in The Incredibles, is joining the cast as Chancellor Nahla Ake. Ake leads Starfleet Academy and has a unique background: she’s half-Lanthanite, a long-lived race that secretly lived among humans for centuries before being discovered. Because of her age, Ake remembers the early days of the Federation and will likely offer a hopeful perspective for the future.

British voice actor Gina Yashere joins the cast as Commander Lura Thok, a character she describes as “funny in her seriousness.” Thok is a half-Klingon, half-Jem’Hadar character who is intensely serious and strong, but also surprisingly funny. Yashere explained to TrekMovie that the humor comes naturally through Thok’s unwavering seriousness, and viewers will find hilarious moments in the early episodes without the character even realizing she’s being funny.

Nicole Dickinson is a familiar face to fans of Star Trek, having previously worked as a stunt double for Mary Chieffo on Discovery during seasons one and two. Now, she’s taking on the role of Lt. Rork, who serves as an academic liaison at Starfleet Academy. The cast also includes:

  • Rebecca Quin (WWE’s Becky Lynch): Lt Ya (Human)
  • Michael Brown: Lt Dandrin (Appears human)
  • Tricia Black: Lt Atlee (Unknown Humanoid Species)
  • Avah Blackwell: Lt Haile (Unknown Humanoid Species)
  • Ken Barnett: Lt Driss (Human)
  • Joseph Chu: Ensign Weldu (Human)

Starfleet Academy’s Cadets

Sandro Rosta, a relatively new face in the industry, stars as Caleb Mir in Starfleet Academy. The trailer revealed that Caleb was separated from his mother years ago and hopes joining the Academy will lead him to her. He provides a fresh perspective as someone who’s an outsider looking in, unsure if he even wants to become part of the Academy’s inner circle.

Zoë Steiner, who you might recognize from Significant Other, has joined the cast of Starfleet Academy as Tarima Sadal, a Betazoid. Betazoids are a well-known species from The Next Generation – Deanna Troi is a famous example – and they’re known for being powerfully empathetic. Steiner told TrekCore that the writing is incredibly detailed and thoughtful, giving her and the other actors well-developed characters with compelling emotional journeys.

Kerrice Brooks, known for her roles in shows like On My Block, How We Roll, and My Old Ass, plays SAM, a highly advanced hologram. SAM is designed to appear and act like a 17-year-old, but she’s actually only four months old, giving her a uniquely innocent and curious perspective. Brooks jokingly compares her role to Spider-Man, feeling a big responsibility as she portrays a character who represents an entirely new kind of being.

You might know George Hawkins from shows like Tell Me Everything, Boiling Point, and Gassed Up. Now, he’s playing Darem Reymi, a Khionian character, in Starfleet Academy. Darem is a competitive young man hoping to become a captain and prove his worth, coming from a privileged background on his home planet. The Khionians are a brand new alien race in the series, and details about them are being kept under wraps until the show airs.

Bella Shepard is a rising actress with roles in popular shows like Orange is the New Black, The Wolf Pack, and The Wilds. In her newest project, she plays Genesis Lythe, the ambitious daughter of an admiral. Genesis is a member of the Dar-Sha, a newly introduced race whose origins are currently unknown. Shepard mentioned at SDCC 2025 that this role required extensive work with prosthetics.

Karim Diane, who competed on X-Factor USA and has appeared in shows like Start Up, Solve, and One Of Us Is Lying, plays the Klingon character Jay-Den Kraag. Unlike typical Klingons, Kraag isn’t a warrior; he’s different and still figuring out where he belongs. Diane shared with TrekCore that he was excited to be part of a show with a positive message, emphasizing the importance of diversity and a hopeful future for everyone. He really highlighted the power of diversity!

Starfleet Academy’s Villain

Paul Giamatti, a celebrated American actor known for films like American Splendor and Barney’s Version (for which he won a Golden Globe), is joining the science fiction world again. He’ll be playing Nus Braka, a tough pirate with a unique background: he’s half-Tellarite and half-Klingon. This is interesting because Tellarites are usually seen as allies—they were even one of the original members of the Federation.

Key Guest Stars in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

In addition, Starfleet Academy features several key guest stars:

  • Oded Fehr returns as Starfleet’s Admiral Charles Vance, a Human character introduced in Star Trek: Discovery and a key diplomat associated with Starfleet.
  • Orphan Black and She-Hulk stalwart Tatiana Maslany plays Caleb’s Human mother.
  • The remarkable Brit Marling (The OA, Murder at the End of the World) is the voice of the Athena’s computer.

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2026-01-14 17:22