In a recent interview with Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Aaron Harberts conducted at the Hollywood premiere last week, TrekMovie.com confirmed a long-rumored character appearance for the first season of the show: Amanda Grayson, wife of Sarek and mother to Spock.
The topic of Amanda Grayson was first broached by former producer Bryan Fuller in 2016 when he first revealed early information about the setting of Star Trek: Discovery, hinting that Grayson “maybe” will play a role in the then-in-pre-production series.
According to Harberts, Grayson will be played by actress Mia Kirshner, who had a breakout role in the first season of FOX’s 24 playing terrorist ‘Mandy,’ and became a recurring threat on that series. The Toronto native later featured as series regulars on HBO’s The L Word and Defiance on Syfy.
Kirshner will make the third actress to take on the role of human wife to Sarek of Vulcan, following in the footsteps of Jane Wyatt (seen above) — who originated the role in the classic Trek episode “Journey to Babel” and returned in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home — and Winona Ryder, who portrayed Amanda in the 2009 Star Trek film.
(Majel Barrett voiced the role when Amanda appeared in the animated episode “Yesteryear.”)
No word yet on when we’ll see Amanda Grayson on screen, but with the already-seen use of flashbacks to Michael Burnham’s childhood on Vulcan, it’s likely the wait won’t be very long as the Discovery team expands upon her story.
The next episode of Star Trek: Discovery, “Context is for Kings,” airs at Sunday on CBS All Access and Space, and will arrive Monday on Netflix.