Mary Chieffo
Born (1992-11-07) November 7, 1992 (age 31)
Los Angeles, California, US
EducationJuilliard School (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1998–present
TelevisionStar Trek: Discovery
Parent

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]

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]

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.

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