Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cast And Character Guide

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy features both new characters and familiar faces from past Star Trek series. The first season, with 10 episodes, is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau and will begin streaming on Paramount+ on January 15th.

Set roughly 300 years in the future, after the events of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy follows the first group of students to attend classes at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco for over a century. Leading these new cadets is Captain Nahla Ake, played by acclaimed actress Holly Hunter, who serves as the Chancellor of the Academy.

Life isn’t easy for the latest class at Starfleet Academy. With the United Federation of Planets facing a new threat from a villain named Nus Braka (played by Paul Giamati, known for his Academy Award nomination), secrets from Captain Ake’s past – and those of cadet Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta) – are resurfacing.

Here’s who’s who in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1:

Actor Character
Holly Hunter Captain Nahla Ake
Paul Giamatti Nus Braka
Sandro Rosta Caleb Mir
Bella Shepard Genesis Lythe
Kerrice Brooks SAM (Series Acclimation Mil)
Karim Diané Jay-Den Kraag
George Hawkins Darem Reymi
Zoë Steiner Tarima Sadal
Robert Picardo The Doctor
Gina Yashere Commander Lura Thok

Holly Hunter As Captain Nahla Ake

Date of Birth: March 20, 1958

  • Active Since: 1981

Holly Hunter is an award-winning actress from Conyers, Georgia, with accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Primetime Emmy. She won these awards for her performances in films like The Piano, Roe Vs. Wade, and The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. Many also recognize her as the voice of Elasti-Girl in The Incredibles, and for her roles in popular movies such as Raising Arizona, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Saving Grace.

Notable Movies & TV Shows

Title Character Year
The Piano Ada McGrath 1993
The Incredibles Elasti-Girl 2004
Saving Grace Grace Hanadarko 2007-2010
Mr. Mayor Arpi Meskimen 2021-2022

Let me tell you about Captain Nahla Ake – she’s a fascinating character. She’s now running Starfleet Academy as its Chancellor, but she’s also still in command of the USS Athena. What really struck me is how much she cares about her students – she genuinely sees them as her ‘kids,’ and that relationship is central to her story. We see a particularly strong connection with Caleb Mir, but she also has a long-standing and intense rivalry with the film’s villain, Nus Braka. It’s a dynamic that adds a lot of tension and emotional weight to the narrative.

Paul Giamatti As Nus Braka

Date of Birth: June 6, 1967

  • Active Since: 1989

Paul Giamatti, born in New Haven, Connecticut and a Yale University graduate, has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Cinderella Man and The Holdovers. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his portrayal of the lead role in HBO’s John Adams. Giamatti is also well-known for his work in Billions, Downton Abbey, and Saving Mr. Banks.

Notable Movies & TV Shows

Title Character Year
Howard Stern’s Private Parts Pig Vomit 1997
Sideways Miles Raymond 2004
John Adams John Adams 2008
The Holdovers Paul Hunham 2023

Nus Braka is a dangerous villain – a half-Klingon, half-Tellarite who leads the Venari Ral, a group of space pirates currently fighting the United Federation of Planets. She has a complex past with Captain Nahla Ake and possesses crucial information about the location of Caleb Mir’s mother.

Sandro Rosta As Caleb Mir

I’m really intrigued by Sandro Rosta’s character, Caleb Mir. He’s playing a new recruit at Starfleet Academy, and from what I’ve heard, he’s got a really interesting backstory. Apparently, Caleb’s a bit of a rebel, someone who’s had to fight to survive, and he joins the Academy hoping to find his missing mom. But things get complicated when he starts falling for Tarima Sadal, who happens to be the President of Betazed’s daughter! It sounds like a recipe for some serious drama, and I’m already hooked.

Bella Shepard As Genesis Lythe

Bella Shepard, who you might recognize from Paramount+’s Wolf Pack, plays Genesis Lythe. Genesis is a member of the Dar-Sha, a new alien species in Star Trek. As the daughter of an Admiral, she’s confident and comes from a Starfleet family, with a strong desire to become a Captain.

Kerrice Brooks As SAM (Series Acclimation Mil)

Kerrice Brooks first appeared in the film My Old Ass before landing the role of SAM (Series Acclimation Mil) in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. SAM is a Kasqian – a being from a holographic species – who was created as a teenager and sent to Starfleet Academy to study other species within the Federation.

Karim Diané As Jay-Den Kraag

Karim Diané is an actor of West African-American descent who first gained recognition on X-Factor USA. He then became known for his role as Jay-Den Kraag, a groundbreaking character as the first fully Klingon main character in Star Trek since Worf (played by Michael Dorn). Unlike many Klingons, Jay-Den studies life sciences and medicine.

George Hawkins As Darem Reymi

British actor George Hawkins previously appeared in Tell Me Everything and Boiling Point before taking on the role of Darem Reymi in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Darem is a Khionian from a privileged background who is determined to succeed at Starfleet and earn the approval of his strict parents.

Zoë Steiner As Tarima Sadal

Zoë Steiner, an Australian actress, first gained recognition for her work on Significant Others. She later joined the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, playing the character Tarima Sadal. Tarima is the daughter of the President of Betazed and struggles to fully manage her psychic abilities. Throughout the series, she develops a romantic connection with Caleb Mir.

Robert Picardo As The Doctor

Date of Birth: October 27, 1953

  • Active Since: 1975

Robert Picardo, originally from Philadelphia, is a seasoned actor with a diverse career spanning film and television. He’s known for significant roles in shows like The Wonder Years, China Beach, and Dickinson. However, he’s most famous for playing The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager, a character he later revisited in both Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, cementing his status as a Star Trek icon.

Notable Movies & TV Shows

Title Character Year
China Beach Dr. Dick Richard 1988-1991
Star Trek: Voyager The Doctor 1995-2001
Dickinson Ithamar Conkey 2019-2021
Star Trek: Prodigy The Doctor 2024

The Emergency Medical Hologram, originally from Star Trek, is a key figure at Starfleet Academy. Now 800 years old and set in the 32nd century, ‘The Doctor’ represents a vast history of Starfleet and medical expertise. He’s also known for being a bit impatient with the new cadets.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Supporting Cast & Legacy Characters

Gina Yashere, a British comedian and writer, plays Commander Luna Thok. This character is a tough instructor at Starfleet Academy, serving as the Cadet Master. Commander Thok has a unique background – she’s a mix of Klingon and Jem’Hadar, and also acts as the First Officer on the USS Athena.

Comedian Tig Notaro is back as the delightfully quirky Commander Jett Reno. She’s moving from her appearances on Star Trek: Discovery to a new job teaching physics and engineering.

Oded Fehr returns as Admiral Charles Vance in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, continuing his role from Star Trek: Discovery. As a Starfleet Admiral, Vance is responsible for monitoring the Academy’s development and ensuring the safety of the Federation.

Mary Wiseman played Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly, who transitioned from serving on the USS Discovery to becoming a teacher at Starfleet Academy in season four of Star Trek: Discovery. Interestingly, Wiseman only appeared as Tilly in a single episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Tatiana Maslany, famous for her Emmy-winning performance in Orphan Black and her role as She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney-At-Law, plays Anisha Mir, the mother of Caleb Mir who has been missing.

Rebecca Quin, famous as WWE Superstar Becky Lynch, appears as Lieutenant MacKenzie Ya, a crew member on the USS Athena under Captain Nahla Ake.

Okay, so Romeo Carere, you might recognize him from stuff like The Banana Splits Movie or Motorheads, is playing Ocam Sadal in this. He’s basically the son of the President of Betazed and Tarima Sadal’s brother. It’s a cool role, and he’s a solid actor, so I’m excited to see what he does with it.

Stephen Colbert, the popular host of CBS’s The Late Show, is lending his voice to a new character: the Digital Dean of Students at Starfleet Academy.

Brit Marling, the actress known for her work in The OA and Another Earth, provides the voice of the computer aboard the USS Athena in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Read More

2026-01-15 13:19