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 |
| Television | Star Trek: Discovery |
| Parent |
|
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]
Filmography
| 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] |
References
External links
- Mary Chieffo at IMDb