Mary Elizabeth Chieffo (born November 7, 1992) is an American actress known for portraying the Klingon L'Rell on the television series Star Trek: Discovery.[1]
Mary Chieffo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 7, 1992 |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Mother | Beth Grant |
Personal life
editChieffo was born on November 7, 1992,[2] in Los Angeles, California.[3] She grew up in the neighborhood of Valley Village, Los Angeles in California, only daughter of actors Michael Chieffo and Beth Grant.[3]
She attended the Drama division of Juilliard School in New York City, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015.[4] One of her classmates was future Star Trek: Discovery castmate Mary Wiseman.[5]
Chieffo came out publicly as a lesbian on the red carpet prior to the Star Trek Day event held September 8, 2021, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.[6] She later clarified that she identifies as "panromantic demisexual and proudly in a lesbian relationship".[7] A few days later, she confirmed via her Twitter feed that she was dating writer and actor Madi Goff.[8] Chieffo wrote the introduction essay for the 2023 edition of Marvel's Voices: Pride #1,[9] reflecting on the need for queer representation in media.[10]
Career
editHer first high profile acting position was on Star Trek: Discovery, where she played the recurring character of L'Rell, a Klingon warrior and spy who becomes leader of the Klingon Empire at the end of Season 1.[11] Her writing and producing debut was Operation Othello, a virtual reality adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, where she also plays Lt. Iago in a gender twist from the original play.[12] In 2022 she reprised her role as Iago in "Iago: The Green Eyed Monster", a 6-minute futuristic musical AR prequel to Othello, nominated for "Best Immersive Experience" in the 2022 Tribeca Festival.[13] In 2024, she voiced a Klingon in an episode of the animated show Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–19 | Star Trek: Discovery | L'Rell[14] | recurring character (13 episodes) |
| 2020 | Operation Othello | Ensign Iago | VR TV movie, she was also the writer and producer.[12] |
| 2022 | Iago: The Green Eyed Monster | Iago | VR short movie, she was also the writer and director.[13] |
| 2024 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | K'Elarra [15][16][17] | Voice, Episode: "A Farewell to Farms" |
References
edit- ^ "'Star Trek: Discovery's' Mary Chieffo transforms into Klingon L'Rell". USA Today. September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Mary Chieffo on Twitter". Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ^ a b "At Home With Beth Grant". HGTV. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "Chieffo on the Rigors and Joys of Juilliard". juilliard.edu. July 9, 2018.
- ^ "Juilliard Students Form G44 Productions, Release First Short Film". Broadway World. New York City. June 5, 2013.
- ^ Ennis, Dawn (September 13, 2021). "Online Outrage Over A Homophobic Slur at Celebration of 'Star Trek Day'". Forbes. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ Kaplan, Rebecca (February 14, 2022). "Mary Chieffo Talks Star Trek, Coming Out and Acting". Geek Girl Authority. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ^ Chieffo, Mary [@marythechief] (October 4, 2021). "…and sometimes the onions are just too intense" (Tweet). Retrieved November 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Get Your First Look at the Uplifting and Celebratory Stories in This Year's Marvel's Voices: Pride #1". Marvel.com. April 26, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
- ^ Mary Chieffo (w). "Our Super Power: Introduction [column]" Marvel's Voices: Pride, no. 1 (June 14, 2023). Marvel Comics.
- ^ "When Star Trek Makes You a Star: A Tale of Two Classmates Reaching New Heights With Discovery". E! Online. November 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 14, 2019). "JuVee's Shakespeare-Inspired VR Series Pilot 'Operation Othello' Heads To Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Solsman, Joan E. (June 9, 2022). "Tribeca Immersive Unveils VR, AR and World's Biggest Holographic Screen". CNET. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "'Star Trek: Discovery' Casts Klingons Chris Obi, Shazad Latif, Mary Chieffo". Variety. December 12, 2016.
- ^ Dinh, Christine (November 12, 2024). "WARP FIVE: Mary Chieffo on Her Klingon Love and Return in Star Trek: Lower Decks". StarTrek.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Pascale, Anthony (November 9, 2024). "Interview: Mary Chieffo On Returning To Star Trek For A New Flavor Of Klingon In 'Lower Decks'". trekmovie.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Orquiola, John (November 9, 2024). "Mary Chieffo Celebrates Her Star Trek: Lower Decks Klingon Comeback". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
External links
edit- Mary Chieffo at IMDb