Mary Chieffo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1992-11-07)November 7, 1992 (age 32) |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Mother | Beth Grant |
Mary Elizabeth Chieffo (born November 7, 1992) is an American actress known for portraying theKlingonL'Rell on the television seriesStar Trek: Discovery.[1]
Chieffo was born on November 7, 1992,[2] inLos Angeles, California.[3] She grew up in the neighborhood ofValley Village, Los Angeles in California, only daughter of actors Michael Chieffo andBeth Grant.[3]
She attended the Drama division ofJuilliard School in New York City, earning aBachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015.[4] One of her classmates was futureStar Trek: Discovery castmateMary Wiseman.[5]
Chieffo came out publicly as a lesbian on the red carpet prior to theStar Trek Day event held September 8, 2021, at theSkirball Cultural Center inLos Angeles, California.[6] She later clarified that she identifies as "panromanticdemisexual and proudly in a lesbian relationship".[7] A few days later, she confirmed via herTwitter feed that she was dating writer and actor Madi Goff.[8] Chieffo wrote the introduction essay for the 2023 edition ofMarvel's Voices: Pride #1,[9] reflecting on the need for queer representation in media.[10]
Her first high profile acting position was onStar Trek: Discovery, where she played the recurring character ofL'Rell, aKlingon warrior and spy who becomes leader of theKlingon Empire at the end ofSeason 1.[11] Her writing and producing debut wasOperation Othello, avirtual reality adaptation ofShakespeare'sOthello, where she also plays Lt.Iago in a gender twist from the original play.[12] In 2022, she reprised her role as Iago inIago: The Green Eyed Monster, a six-minute futuristic musical AR prequel toOthello, nominated for "Best Immersive Experience" in the 2022Tribeca Festival.[13] In 2024, she voiced a Klingon in an episode of the animated showStar Trek: Lower Decks.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–19 | Star Trek: Discovery | L'Rell[14] | recurring character (13 episodes) |
| 2020 | Operation Othello | EnsignIago | 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" |