Mary Chieffo
American actress (born 1992)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Elizabeth[1] Chieffo (born November 7, 1992) is an American actress known for portraying the Klingon L'Rell on the television series Star Trek: Discovery.[2]
Mary Chieffo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | November 7, 1992 |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Mother | Beth Grant |
Personal life
Chieffo was born on November 7, 1992,[3] in Los Angeles, California.[4] She grew up in the neighborhood of Valley Village, Los Angeles in California, only daughter of actors Michael Chieffo and Beth Grant.[4]
She attended the Drama division of Juilliard School in New York City, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015.[5] One of her classmates was future Star Trek: Discovery castmate Mary Wiseman.[6]
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.[7] She later clarified that she identifies as "panromantic demisexual and proudly in a lesbian relationship".[8] A few days later, she confirmed via her Twitter feed that she was dating writer and actor Madi Goff.[9] Chieffo wrote the introduction essay for the 2023 edition of Marvel's Voices: Pride #1,[10] reflecting on the need for queer representation in media.[11]
Career
Her 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.[12] 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.[13] In 2022, she reprised her role as Iago in Iago: The Green Eyed Monster, a six-minute futuristic musical AR prequel to Othello, nominated for "Best Immersive Experience" in the 2022 Tribeca Festival.[14] In 2024, she voiced a Klingon in an episode of the animated show Star Trek: Lower Decks.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–19 | Star Trek: Discovery | L'Rell[15] | recurring character (13 episodes) |
| 2020 | Operation Othello | Ensign Iago | VR TV movie, she was also the writer and producer.[13] |
| 2022 | Iago: The Green Eyed Monster | Iago | VR short movie, she was also the writer and director.[14] |
| 2024 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | K'Elarra [16][17][18] | Voice, Episode: "A Farewell to Farms" |