9 Star Trek Actors Appear In Black Mirror: Who They Play & In Which Episodes
Nine actors from Star Trekappear throughout Black Mirror's 7 seasons. Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror has been a hit series for Netflix since it premiered in 2011. A sci-fi anthology series about the harrowing dangers of technology in society, Black Mirror was originally a UK production that began setting episodes in the United States, and casting famous American actors, starting in Black Mirror season 3.
After J.J. Abrams rebooted Star Trekmovies in 2009, top actors, including some unexpected names, have joined the Star Trek franchise in films and in Star Trek on Paramount+'s TV series. Of course, Star Trek has been a force in pop culture for almost 60 years, and many iconic names associated with Star Trek have crossed over into other franchises, including the Star Trek actors set to appear in Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday. Meanwhile, some present Star Trek actors were cast in Black Mirror before joining the final frontier.
Black Mirror's list of names who are also part of Star Trek consists of actors from J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Prodigy, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It's surprising that Black Mirror hasn't tapped icons like Patrick Stewart or Scott Bakula to appear in its anthology, but perhaps that's just a matter of time. Here are the 9 actors who cross over from Black Mirror to Star Trek.
9 Lydia Wilson
Black Mirror Season 1, Episode 1 - "The National Anthem"
Lydia Wilson is one of the first faces ever seen in Black Mirror.Wilson plays Princess Susannah, a beloved member of the Royal Family in Black Mirror's first-ever episode, "The National Anthem." Princess Susannah is held hostage by a mysterious kidnapper who will only release her if Prime Minister Michael Callow performs a sexual act with a pig live on television. Wilson plays Princess Susannah in hostage videos until she is released.
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Five years after appearing in Black Mirror,Lydia Wilson donned prosthetics to become Kalara in Star Trek Beyond. Posing as an alien in desperate need of Starfleet's help, Kalara baits a trap of for the USS Enterprise led by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). The duplicitous Kalara and her leader, Krall (Idris Elba), are revealed to be humans who were mutated into alien forms. Kalara was formerly known as Starfleet Officer Jessica Wolfe.
8 Shazad Latif
Black Mirror Season 1, Episode 1 - "The National Anthem"
Shazad Latif makes a very brief appearance in Black Mirror's premiere episode, "The National Anthem." In Black Mirror,Latif plays Medhi Raboud, a Middle East expert, who appears as part of a British news panel. Medhi's role is to discuss the kidnapping of Princess Susannah as a possible act of terrorism. Shazad appears in Black Mirror six years before he joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery.
Voq is canonically the first known Klingon to be surgically altered into a human in Star Trek.
In Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2, Shazad Latif plays the dual role of Lieutenant Ash Tyler, who is the surgically altered human form of Voq, an albino Klingon. The original Ash Tyler was a Starfleet Officer captured by the Klingons and replaced by Voq. Tyler allies himself with Starfleet as his lover, L'Rell (Mary Chieffo), becomes Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Commander Ash Tyler is placed in charge of Section 31.
7 Christina Chong
Black Mirror Season 2, Episode 3 - "The Waldo Moment"
Nine years before debuting in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Christina Chong played Tamsin in Black Mirror season 2, episode 3, "The Waldo Moment." Tamsin is a producer who oversees Waldo, a crude, foul-mouthed, blue cartoon bear performed by a comic named Jamie Salter (Daniel Rigby). Tamsin is a contemporary role for Christina Chong that's quite removed from the Star Trek character she has become best known for.
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In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Christina Chong plays Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh, the Chief of Security of the USS Enterprise. Serious and tightly-wound, La'an's gradual softening and opening up of her character, as well as her attraction to Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), is one of the most enjoyable parts of Strange New Worlds. A descendant of the infamous villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), Chong continues as La'an in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 3 and 4.
6 David Ajala
Black Mirror Season 2, Episode 3 - "The Waldo Moment"
David Ajala makes a surprising appearance in Black Mirror season 2's "The Waldo Moment" seven years before he joined Star Trek: Discovery. In Black Mirror, Ajala has a brief role as Jeff Carter, someone from "the agency" (i.e. the CIA) who believes the political disruption Waldo causes in the British MP election could also be applied to elections in other countries. Amusingly, David, who is British, speaks with an American accent as Jeff Carter.
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Star Trek: Discovery season 3's premiere features the debut of David Ajala as Cleveland Booker, a roguish courier who becomes the romantic foil of Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Book and Burnham become the central love story of Star Trek: Discovery, and they are by each other's side as they repeatedly save the galaxy. Michael and Book remain happily married decades after Star Trek: Discovery ends.
5 Alice Eve
Black Mirror Season 3, Episode 1 - "Nosedive"
In "Nosedive," Black Mirror season 3's premiere episode and the first Black Mirror story set in the United States, Alice Eve plays Naomi Blestow. Naomi, a 4.8 in a society that judges itself by its social media ratings, invites her childhood friend, Lacie Pound (Bryce Dallas Howard), as her maid of honor. After a series of disasters to Lacie's social status, Naomi uninvites her friend to her wedding, but Lacie goes mad and appears anyway, ruining the lavish affair.
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Alice Eve's Black Mirror appearance happened three years after she played Dr. Carol Marcus in Star Trek Into Darkness. The Carol of J.J. Abrams' rebooted alternate timeline never had a relationship or son with Captain James T. Kirk, and Carol is reimagined as the daughter of the villainous Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). Unfortunately, Alice Eve's Carol Marcus was controversial with audiences, and she didn't return for the sequel, Star Trek Beyond.
4 Jimmi Simpson
Black Mirror Season 4, Episode 1 - "USS Callister" & Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 6 - "USS Callister Into Infinity"
Jimmi Simpson makes two appearances in Black Mirror as his character, James Walton, the swarthy CEO of video game company Callister Inc. A digital version of Walton also exists in his own video game, Infinity. The virtual Walton is part of the crew of the USS Callister, an illegal game created by Infinity's designer, Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), based on the 1960s TV show Space Fleet. Simpson plays Walton in Black Mirror season 4's "USS Callister" and its sequel, Black Mirror season 7's "USS Callister Into Infinity."
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Jimmi Simpson voices Drednok in Star Trek: Prodigy seasons 1 and 2. A creation of the Vau N'Akat, Drednok is the robotic enforcer of the villainous Diviner (John Noble) who then joins forces with the diabolical Ascencia (Jameela Jamil). In Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, Simpson also voices a Drednok who is the Vau N'Akat's lorekeeper before their society destroyed itself following First Contact with Starfleet.
3 Aldis Hodge
Black Mirror Season 4, Episode 6 - "Black Museum"
In Black Mirror season 6's "Black Museum," Aldis Hodge plays Jack, whose wife, Carrie (Alexandra Roach), is comatose from a serious injury. Carrie's consciousness is implanted into Jack's mind, allowing her to see through his eyes and live on. When Jack starts a relationship with another woman, he decides to have Carrie's consciousness transferred into a toy monkey.
Star Trek: Discovery’s “Calypso” Short Trek & Finale Epilogue Reveal Explained
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Aldis Hodge has another encounter with a virtual woman in the Star Trek: Short Treks episode "Calypso." Hodge plays Craft, a soldier from the future who is rescued by Zora (Annabelle Wallis), the USS Discovery's sentient A.I. Zora falls for Craft, but they tragically part when he decides to return to his family. Star Trek: Discovery season 5's ending revealed how Zora and the USS Discovery were sent on its final mission so she can meet Craft a thousand years in the future.
2 Babs Olusanmokun
Black Mirror Season 4, Episode 6 - "Black Museum"
Another future Star Trek actor in Black Mirror season 4's "Black Museum" is Babs Olusanmokun, who plays Clayton Leigh. A prisoner on death row, Leigh's consciousness is transferred to a virtual prison by Rolo Haynes (Douglas Hodge). In Rolo's Black Museum, customers can repeatedly execute Leigh by electric chair until Leigh's daughter, Nish (Letitia Wright), gets revenge on Haynes and stops her father's torture.
Dr. M'Benga is a fierce warrior harboring dark secrets.
Five years after Black Mirror, Babs Olusanmokun joined Christina Chong on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Babs plays Dr. Joseph M'Benga, the Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise. As Strange New Worlds continued, layers of M'Benga's past peeled back to reveal Joseph as one of the show's most compelling characters. A veteran of Star Trek: Discovery's Klingon War, Dr. M'Benga is a fierce warrior harboring dark secrets.
1 Paul Giamatti
Black Mirror Season 7, Episode 5 - "Eulogy"
Paul Giamatti plays Philip in Black Mirror season 7's "Eulogy." Learning that his old girlfriend passed away, Philip uses Eulogy technology to enter his old photographs in order to send memories to her family. During his exploration into his past, Philip uncovers buried secrets and learns more about their lost relationship than he knew.
Star Trek Actors In Black Mirror | Character | Season | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
Lydia Wilson | Princess Susannah | 1 | "The National Anthem" |
Shazad Latif | Medhi Raboud | 1 | "The National Anthem" |
Christina Chong | Tamsin | 2 | "The Waldo Moment" |
David Ajala | Jeff Carter | 2 | "The Waldo Moment" |
Alice Eve | Naomi Blestow | 4 | "Nosedive" |
Jimmi Simpson | James Walton | 4, 7 | "USS Callister, "USS Callister Into Infinity" |
Aldis Hodge | Jack | 4 | "Black Museum" |
Babs Olusanmokun | Clayton Leigh | 4 | "Black Museum" |
Paul Giamatti | Philip | 7 | "Eulogy" |
Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Best Actor winner Paul Giamatti will play the mysterious villain of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1. A lifelong Star Trek fan, Giamatti leads Starfleet Academy's cast alongside Oscar winner Holly Hunter, who plays a Captain and the Academy's Chancellor. Giamatti's long-awaited turn as a Star Trek villain is one of the most anticipated aspects of Starfleet Academy.
Black Mirror
- Release Date
- December 4, 2011
- Network
- Channel 4, Netflix
- Showrunner
- Charlie Brooker
- Directors
- Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh
- Writers
- Jesse Armstrong
Cast
Nanette Cole
Walton
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