Mary Chieffo

Mary Chieffo
Born (1992-11-07) November 7, 1992 (age 32)
Los Angeles, California, US
EducationJuilliard School (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
MotherBeth Grant

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]

Personal life

Chieffo 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

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.[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

Film and television
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

  1. ^ "'Star Trek: Discovery's' Mary Chieffo transforms into Klingon L'Rell". USA Today. September 25, 2017.
  2. ^ "Mary Chieffo on Twitter". Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "At Home With Beth Grant". HGTV. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "Chieffo on the Rigors and Joys of Juilliard". juilliard.edu. July 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Juilliard Students Form G44 Productions, Release First Short Film". Broadway World. New York City. June 5, 2013.
  6. ^ Ennis, Dawn (September 13, 2021). "Online Outrage Over A Homophobic Slur at Celebration of 'Star Trek Day'". Forbes. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Kaplan, Rebecca (February 14, 2022). "Mary Chieffo Talks Star Trek, Coming Out and Acting". Geek Girl Authority. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  8. ^ Chieffo, Mary [@marythechief] (October 4, 2021). "…and sometimes the onions are just too intense" (Tweet). Retrieved November 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ Mary Chieffo (w). "Our Super Power: Introduction [column]" Marvel's Voices: Pride, no. 1 (June 14, 2023). Marvel Comics.
  11. ^ "When Star Trek Makes You a Star: A Tale of Two Classmates Reaching New Heights With Discovery". E! Online. November 10, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 14, 2019). "JuVee's Shakespeare-Inspired VR Series Pilot 'Operation Othello' Heads To Cannes". Deadline. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Solsman, Joan E. (June 9, 2022). "Tribeca Immersive Unveils VR, AR and World's Biggest Holographic Screen". CNET. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  14. ^ "'Star Trek: Discovery' Casts Klingons Chris Obi, Shazad Latif, Mary Chieffo". Variety. December 12, 2016.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ Orquiola, John (November 9, 2024). "Mary Chieffo Celebrates Her Star Trek: Lower Decks Klingon Comeback". ScreenRant. Retrieved November 18, 2024.