“...To me it was heavy at first”: Star Trek: Discovery actor Sonequa Martin-Green shared her experience about taking on the coveted role

Sonequa Martin-Green as the calm and heroic Starfleet officer Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery was an instant hit with the Trekkies. The series, which ran for five seasons from 2017 to 2024, was one of the more successful Star Trek ventures.

Martin-Green shared that when she was going to take on the role, she was aware of Star Trek’s history with pioneering diversity in television and welcomed the great responsibility.

While speaking to Variety, she said,

“…George Takei, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew. That’s exactly why. We knew that (Star Trek) was an heirloom, and to me it was heavy at first. At the time, I was still dealing with a great deal of internalized racism as well, so there was the imposter syndrome.”

She continued,

“There was the idea that I needed to prove that I deserve to be there, that I needed to make those who came before me proud, that I needed to prove my worth to them because of what had already been accomplished, because I knew that I was there largely because of them.”

Star Trek: Discovery follows Burnham and her crew members on board USS Discovery, as they uncover the many mysteries of the galaxy. Martin-Green shared that it meant a lot for her to be part of Star Trek as she grew up being fascinated by Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed the role of Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and the subsequent movies. She said,

“…I knew that’s “Star Trek,” that’s Nichelle Nichols. I don’t even know as a child if I knew her real name, but I knew here’s this beautiful Black woman. This is Uhura. I remember LeVar Burton. It’s interesting — I have flashes of a few people, but the two of them are the most prevalent in my memory.”

Martin-Green felt the responsibility of being an African American commander at the helm of the spaceship on the show. She would recall her eager need to achieve perfection through her performance.

Star Trek: Discovery ends after five-season run

Paramount+ had announced the end of Star Trek: Discovery after the filming of the Season 5 finale. The news came as a shock to the cast, crew, and fans. There were plans to wrap up the series with a 2-hour movie-like episode. But the idea was not approved.

The production team managed to secure three days to film the 16-minute epilogue to give the show a proper farewell. The ‘coda’, as it is referred to, is set about 30 years later. We find Admiral Burnham living a contented life with her family. She and her son, who is a captain in Starfleet, are set to send Discovery on its final mission.

Martin-Green initially hoped for a Season 6, and the news about the show ending with five seasons came as a surprise. She says that she is thankful for the experience and is grateful to be part of the Star Trek universe. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said,

“There was definitely the bittersweetness, but then there was this really powerful sense of peace as well because of what we did, what we created, and what we were all able to be a part of. So, yeah, bitter and sweet, but peaceful at the same time.”

Star Trek is available on Paramount+

ALSO READ: I feel this short-lived Enterprise captain deserved a better ending in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Trending

For more stories on shows, follow SoapCentral

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback