Kerrice Brooks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kerrice Ayanna Brooks is an American actor and dancer. She gained international recognition for her role as SAM (Series Acclimation Mil) in the television series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Brooks began her professional career as a dancer, performing with artists such as Billie Eilish, Kanye West, Lil Nas X, and Kelly Rowland. Her early screen roles include appearances in The Prom, The Cypher, How We Roll, and On My Block. In 2024, she made her feature‑film debut in the coming‑of‑age film My Old Ass and also appeared in the 1970s‑set comedy Feeling Randy (2024).[1]
In 2024, Brooks was announced as part of the main cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,[1] in which she portrays the holographic cadet SAM (Series Acclimation Mil) from the planet Kasq, who becomes the first of her kind to be admitted to the academy. According to showrunner Alex Kurtzman, the character had originally been conceived differently but was re‑envisioned after Brooks's audition.[2] By her own account, in her youth Brooks had initially avoided Star Trek, and only later found her way into the franchise through Star Trek: Discovery.[3] To prepare for the role, the production provided her with a curated list of episodes, primarily from Deep Space Nine and Voyager. During filming, she began watching Deep Space Nine in full.[4] In 2025, she publicly described Star Trek as a "beacon of hope".[5] Brooks cited Jake Sisko, Data, and David Jonsson's portrayal of the android Andy in Alien: Romulus as acting touchstones.[6] She explained that working on SAM involved accessing her "inner child", and she developed a fictional journal to document the character's time allocation and learning processes.[4]
In January 2026, Brooks appeared together with Holly Hunter and other cast members of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy on NBC's Kelly Clarkson Show to promote the series.[7]
References
- 1 2 Paramount (10 July 2024). "Kerrice Brooks, Bella Shepard und George Hawkins schließen sich dem Cast der Paramount+-Originalserie STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY an". Paramount-Presse (in German). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ Nick Romano (11 October 2025). "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy showrunners explain why it was so hard to crack the series (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ Nathan P. Gibson (18 February 2026). "'Star Trek' Star Opens Up About Why She Didn't Watch the Series". EntertainmentNow. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- 1 2 Rachel Leishman (6 February 2026). ""I had an essence of an idea about how important he was": 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Star Breakdowns The 'Deep Space Nine' Themed Episode". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ Joshua Lapin-Bertone (28 November 2025). "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy actor Kerrice Brooks cried tears of joy during her NYCC panel, and it was one of the most genuine moments I saw the whole convention". The Popverse. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ Lyvie Scott (5 February 2026). "Kerrice Brooks Unpacks Starfleet Academy's Torch-Passing Deep Space Nine Tribute". Inverse. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ "Holly Hunter & Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cast Beam In To Kelly Clarkson Interview". NBC. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
External links
- Kerrice Brooks at IMDb
- "Holly Hunter & 'Star Trek: Starfleet Academy' Cast Beam In To Kelly Clarkson Interview". The Kelly Clarkson Show. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
