Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Cameo As SAM’s Maker In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Explained

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, titled “Series Acclimation Mil.” In addition to its established cast, the episode includes a surprise appearance by a well-known actor. Written by Kirsten Beyer and Tawny Newsome, and directed by Larry Teng, this installment of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduces a new Emissary character – a role similar to that of Captain Benjamin Sisko (played by Avery Brooks) in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Kerrice Brooks plays SAM, a unique character in the Star Trek universe. SAM is the first hologram to attend Starfleet Academy and also holds a special role as the Emissary for her people, the Kasqians. In the fifth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, she looks into the mystery of Captain Sisko’s disappearance (from the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) to better understand what being an Emissary means.

SAM receives guidance from two well-known characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Professor Illa Dax (played by Tawny Newsome), who is the current host of the Dax symbiont, and Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton), who encourages her to embrace her role as an Emissary. She also confronts her Creators, voiced by a highly acclaimed actor.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Cameo In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Episode 5 Explained

In the fifth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Chiwetel Ejiofor provides the voice for the Kasq Makers, a group of photonic beings. These beings, known as SAM’s Makers, sent one of their own, Series Acclimation Mil, to Starfleet Academy to study organic lifeforms and share what she learned with her people. This makes SAM a kind of ambassador.

Similar to Captain Sisko’s experiences with the Prophets in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, SAM was built by her creators and given a challenging assignment with unclear guidelines. Like Sisko, who was frequently transported to the Celestial Temple and received cryptic messages from the Prophets, SAM is regularly disconnected from reality to communicate with her demanding creators.

In the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 5, SAM learned valuable lessons from Captain Sisko. She realized that someone in her position—an Emissary—needs to be motivated by love. Equally important, SAM understood she could fulfill the role her own way, even if it differed from what her creators expected. Captain Sisko often did the same, completing his missions according to his own judgment, even when it went against the wishes of the Prophets.

How Chiwetel Ejiofor Already Had A Link To Star Trek

Chiwetel Ejiofor is joining Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti in the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. The film already boasts a highly acclaimed cast, and Ejiofor is expected to reprise his role as the voice of SAM’s Maker in upcoming installments.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, the Academy Award nominee for his role in 12 Years a Slave, has a surprisingly fitting connection to the world of Star Trek. Beyond his acclaimed dramatic work, Ejiofor is well-known to science fiction fans for appearing in films like Serenity, The Martian, and several Marvel movies, including the Doctor Strange series. He’s also starred in popular sci-fi titles such as Children of Men, The Old Guard, and Venom: The Last Dance.

Chiwetel Ejiofor appeared in the 2022 series The Man Who Fell to Earth, a show directed and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman is also a key figure behind Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, serving as an executive producer, co-showrunner, and director. It’s logical that Kurtzman cast Ejiofor as the Makers of SAM, but he also had Ejiofor’s voice digitally modified to remain somewhat anonymous.

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2026-02-06 20:58