Two Academy Award winners, one Academy Award nominee, and an 800-year-old holographic doctor walk into Starfleet Academy. That’s not a setup for a joke—that’s the actual cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which premieres January 15, 2026 on Paramount+.
- Academy Leadership
- The Cadets
- Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir
- Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe
- Kerrice Brooks as SAM (Series Acclimation Mil)
- Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag
- George Hawkins as Darem Reymi
- Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal
- Legacy Characters
- Robert Picardo as The Doctor
- Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno
- Oded Fehr as Admiral Charles Vance
- Mary Wiseman as Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly
- Guest Stars & Cameos
- FAQ: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cast
Set in the late 32nd century after Star Trek: Discovery, the 10-episode first season follows the first Starfleet Academy class to study on Earth in 120 years. Here’s everyone you need to know.
Academy Leadership
Holly Hunter as Captain Nahla Ake
The Role: Chancellor of Starfleet Academy and commander of the USS Athena. A caring educator dedicated to her cadets, with a special bond to Caleb Mir and longstanding animosity with villain Nus Braka.
The Actor: Academy Award winner (The Piano), Emmy winner, known for The Incredibles, Raising Arizona, Saving Grace. Her first episodic TV lead since Saving Grace ended in 2010.
Paul Giamatti as Nus Braka
The Role: A half-Klingon/half-Tellarite hybrid and leader of the Venari Ral, a pirate legion at war with the Federation. Holds the key to Caleb Mir’s mother’s whereabouts.
The Actor: Academy Award nominee (Cinderella Man, The Holdovers), Emmy winner (John Adams). Known for Sideways, Billions.
Gina Yashere as Commander Lura Thok
The Role: Cadet Master of Starfleet Academy and First Officer of the USS Athena. A Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid.
The Actor: British writer and comedian making her major streaming drama debut.
The Cadets
Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir
The Role: The newest Academy recruit. A rebel searching for his missing mother who unexpectedly falls for Tarima Sadal.
The Actor: British-Canadian newcomer in his breakout role.
Bella Shepard as Genesis Lythe
The Role: A Dar-Sha (new species introduced in this series), daughter of an Admiral. Self-assured “Starfleet royalty” driven to become Captain.
The Actor: Previously seen in Paramount+’s Wolfpack.
Kerrice Brooks as SAM (Series Acclimation Mil)
The Role: A Kasqian — a holographic species. Programmed as a teenage girl and sent to the Academy to learn about Federation species.
The Actor: Starred in My Old Ass before joining the Trek universe.
Karim Diané as Jay-Den Kraag
The Role: The first full-blooded Klingon main character since Worf. Enrolled in life sciences and medicine — deliberately subverting Klingon warrior stereotypes.
The Actor: West African-American performer previously known for X-Factor USA.
George Hawkins as Darem Reymi
The Role: A Khionian from a wealthy homeworld, striving to please demanding parents by excelling at Starfleet.
The Actor: British actor known for Tell Me Everything and Boiling Point.
Zoë Steiner as Tarima Sadal
The Role: Daughter of the President of Betazed. Cannot fully control her psychic powers. Develops a romantic connection with Caleb Mir.
The Actor: Australian performer known for Significant Others.
Legacy Characters
Robert Picardo as The Doctor
The Role: The Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I from Voyager — now 800 years old. Living embodiment of Starfleet history, notably impatient with young cadets.
The Actor: Trek legend reprising his role from Voyager (1995-2001) and Prodigy (2024).
Tig Notaro as Commander Jett Reno
The Role: Physics and engineering instructor, transitioning from Discovery.
The Actor: Comedian reprising her fan-favorite character.
Oded Fehr as Admiral Charles Vance
The Role: Oversees Academy progress and Federation security.
The Actor: Israeli actor reprising his Discovery role.
Mary Wiseman as Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly
The Role: Starfleet Academy instructor (appeared in Discovery season 4).
Note: Curiously appears in only one episode — an odd choice for a character positioned for this spinoff.
Guest Stars & Cameos
| Actor | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tatiana Maslany | Anisha Mir | Emmy winner (Orphan Black), plays Caleb’s missing mother |
| Rebecca Quin (Becky Lynch) | Lt. MacKenzie Ya | WWE champion as USS Athena bridge crew |
| Stephen Colbert | Digital Dean of Students | Voice role |
| Brit Marling | USS Athena Computer Voice | The OA creator |
| Romeo Carere | Ocam Sadal | Brother of Tarima, son of Betazed President |
FAQ: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cast
Why might loading the cast with Oscar winners backfire for a Trek series?
Prestige actors bring expectations genre television sometimes can’t meet. If scripts don’t match Hunter’s and Giamatti’s caliber, their performances highlight the gap rather than elevate weak material. Trek has always been about ideas over star power — this shifts the balance.
How does limiting Mary Wiseman to one episode signal the show’s direction?
Tilly seemed like an obvious bridge character from Discovery. Her near-absence suggests Starfleet Academy wants distance from its predecessor, prioritizing the new cast over fan service. Whether that’s confident storytelling or a missed opportunity depends on how compelling the cadets prove to be.
The show lives or dies on whether those cadets can hold the screen when Hunter and Giamatti aren’t around. Oscar winners make great trailers and premiere episodes. But ten hours of television needs compelling young leads, and that ensemble is unproven.
The first episode drops today. The casting got me to show up. Now the writing has to keep me.
