From Star Trek: Discovery to Star Trek: Prodigy, four A-list actors across movies and television were launched thanks to Star Trek on Paramount+ series. In 2022 to 2023, Paramount+ boasted five new Star Trek shows, including Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Discovery premiered in 2017, and its success not only helped launch the CBS All-Access streaming service, which became Paramount+, but it also sparked a renaissance for the Star Trek TV franchise, which had been dormant after Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled in 2005.
At its zenith, Star Trek on Paramount+ reunited the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in Star Trek: Picard, proved Star Trek could thrive in animation with the comedic powerhouse, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and the all-ages wonder, Star Trek: Prodigy, and broke new ground with Star Trek’s first-ever musical episode in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
One of Star Trek on Paramount+’s not-so-secret weapons is casting spectacular actors whose characters have become new, fan-favorite icons in the Star Trek universe. Michelle Yeoh, who was cast in Star Trek: Discovery, went on to win a Best Actress Academy Award. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is led by Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter and Emmy winner Paul Giamatti.
Meanwhile, Star Trek’s production company, Secret Hideout, also had the forward-thinking ability to spot incredible talent to bring into the Star Trek family. The following four Star Trek actors, in particular, have become huge stars in film and television after their time in the final frontier.
Sonequa Martin-Green
Star Trek: Discovery
Sonequa Martin-Green played Captain Michael Burnham for five seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the series that brought Star Trek back to life on streaming. Martin-Green joined Star Trek: Discovery after turning heads as Sasha on The Walking Dead, but Star Trek took Sonequa to another level.
As Captain Burnham, Sonequa Martin-Green was a revolutionary figure. Martin-Green played the first black female lead, who became Captain, in a live-action Star Trek series. Becoming a producer, Sonequa was praised by her fellow Star Trek: Discovery castmates for her leadership and dedication.
During Star Trek: Discovery’s run, Martin-Green starred in Space Jam: A New Legacy and in the critically acclaimed film, My Dead Friend Zoe.
Post-Star Trek: Discovery, Sonequa became the co-lead of the hit CBS procedural drama, Boston Blue, opposite Mark Wahlberg. Boston Blue has been renewed for season 2 as Sonequa Martin-Green’s star continues to rise.
Isa Briones
Star Trek: Picard
Isa Briones played multiple roles in Star Trek: Picard, primarily the synthetic twins Soji and Dahj, and Kore Soong. Briones joined Star Trek: Picard after making history as the youngest performer in the cast of Hamilton.
As Data’s (Brent Spiner) ‘daughters,’ Dahj and Soji, in Star Trek: Picard season 1, Isa Briones reinvented androids in Star Trek to be more evolved and human, which included playing the villainous synthetic, Sutra. Briones played Kore Soong in Star Trek: Picard season 2 as a sheltered young woman who rebelled and found a cosmic destiny.
Isa’s father, Jon Jon Briones, played the Magistrate of the Confederation of Earth in Star Trek: Picard season 2.
After leaving Star Trek: Picard before season 3, Isa Briones starred on Broadway in Hadestown and in the Hulu series Goosebumps.
Cast as the controversial Dr. Trinity Santos in The Pitt, Isa now stars in an Emmy Award-winning Outstanding Drama Series. Just as she was in Star Trek: Picard, Briones is a memorable standout in The Pitt’s ensemble cast.
Ella Purnell
Star Trek: Prodigy
Ella Purnell voiced Gwyndala on Star Trek: Prodigy. Acting since her youth, Ella Purnell joined Star Trek after already starring in acclaimed TV series like Ordeal By Innocence, Sweetbitter, and Belgravia, as well as Never Let Me Go, Maleficent, and Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.
As Gwyndala, Purnell was the most prominent young name among Star Trek: Prodigy’s talented voice cast. Often working opposite John Noble, who played her father, The Diviner, Gwyn and her fellow teen alien outcasts embraced the principles of Starfleet and saved the galaxy — and later, the multiverse — in Star Trek: Prodigy’s two seasons.
Star Trek: Prodigy was canceled by Paramount+ in 2023, but was ported to Netflix where seasons 1 and 2 streamed until December 31, 2025.
While she was voicing Gwyndala in Star Trek: Prodigy, Ella Purnell played young Jackie Taylor in the acclaimed TV series, Yellowjackets.
Purnell now juggles her lead roles as a post-apocalyptic heroine in Prime Video’s Fallout and as a killer in Sweetpea on STARZ. Ella also continued voiceover work in Netflix’s Arcane and Prime Video’s Invincible.
Jack Quaid
Star Trek: Lower Decks
Jack Quaid voiced Ensign (later Lieutenant) Bradward Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks, as well as Brad’s transporter clone Captain William Boimler. The son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Jack made his feature film debut in The Hunger Games and starred in Vinyl and Logan Lucky.
As Brad Boimler, Jack Quaid was co-lead of Star Trek: Lower Decks’ five seasons, alongside Tawny Newsome’s Ensign/Lieutenant Beckett Mariner. Quaid and Newsome also made Star Trek history by playing Boimler and Mariner in live-action in an acclaimed crossover episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Concurrent with Star Trek: Lower Decks, Jack Quaid starred as Hughie Campbell in all five seasons of Prime Video’s The Boys. Quaid was part of Oppenheimer’s ensemble cast.
Post-Star Trek, Jack starred in the feature films Companion and Novocaine, as well as Neighborhood Watch and Heads of State. Jack also voices the Man of Steel in My Adventures with Superman.