“Star Trek: Discovery” has cast “The Walking Dead” star Sonequa Martin-Green in the series’ lead role, TheWrap has confirmed.
Martin-Green, who plays Sasha on the AMC zombie apocalypse series, will play a lieutenant commander on the titular starship. This marks a major departure from past “Star Trek” series, which have typically focused on the captain of whatever vessel serves as the show’s setting. Martin-Green will continue to appear on “The Walking Dead” while starring on “Discovery.”
Representatives for Martin-Green and CBS declined TheWrap’s request for comment.
She is the latest addition to the quickly-expanding cast. Earlier this week, Chris Obi, Shazad Latif and Mary Chieffo joined the show as a trio of Klingon warriors. The series also recently cast Anthony Rapp, Doug Jones and Michelle Yeoh in key roles.
The new “Star Trek” series is due to start filming soon in Toronto, and will premiere in May on CBS’ streaming platform, CBS All Access. It was originally scheduled to debut in January.
Most recently, Bryan Fuller left his post as showrunner, with executive producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts taking his place.
As originally planned, the premiere episode of “Discovery” will air on CBS, with all subsequent episodes available in the U.S. exclusively on CBS All Access. Each episode of the series will be available globally within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere, presented on Netflix in 188 countries and through Bell Media platforms in Canada.
“Star Trek: Discovery” is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Alex Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Productions and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Kurtzman, Fuller, Heather Kadin, Berg, Harberts, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers.
Entertainment Weekly first reported this news.
'Star Trek: Discovery' to 'Pan's Labyrinth': the Many Faces of Doug Jones (Photos)
You may not recognize actor Doug Jones, who just joined "Star Trek: Discovery." But he's squished himself into a box for a jeans commercial, been in videos for Madonna and Marilyn Manson, and played zombies, aliens and the scariest monster in "Pan's Labyrinth." Here are some of his most memorable (and unrecognizable) appearances.
Batman Returns (1992)
The mild-mannered Jones played one of many evil clowns that run rampant in the Tim Burton action starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne.
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Hocus Pocus (1993)
During a 20th anniversary screening of "Hocus Pocus, Jones revealed that the moths that flew out of his character's mouth were real and not special effects.
Walt Disney Pictures
Magic Kid (1993)
This family comedy had karate action and laughs supplied by the nimble Jones.
PM Entertainment Group
Tank Girl (1995)
Jones played a genetically modified super-soldier called a Ripper in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi comedy starring Lori Petty and Naomi Watts.
MGM
Mimic (1997)
Not even Josh Brolin can save Manhattan when cockroaches take over.
Miramax
Warriors of Virtue (1997)
As the anthropomorphic kangaroo, Yee, Warrior of Metal, Jones is gifted with the virtue of righteousness.
MGM
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999)
Jones' character leads a team called "The Gentlemen," who steal the voices of their victims so they can't scream when their hearts are cut out.
20th Century Fox Television
Monkeybone (2001)
Jones plays a Yeti who runs a movie theater that showcases nightmares in this dark comedy that combines live-action with stop-motion animation.
20th Century Fox
Men in Black II (2002)
Although this sequel brought in more than $440 million worldwide, it also brought in a Razzie Award nomination for Lara Flynn Boyle as Worst Supporting Actress.
photo: Melinda Sue Gordon
The Time Machine (2002)
As one of the many Morlocks, Jones donned an animatronic mask.
DreamWorks SKG
Hellboy (2004)
Although Jones played Abe Sapien in the "Hellboy" film series, his voice was dubbed by David Hyde Pierce.
Columbia Pictures
Doom (2005)
Jones not only portrayed all four Imps, but he also choreographed the movements of the Czech dancers who played zombies.
John Wells Productions
Lady in the Water (2006)
Jones plays an invisible simian in director M. Night Shyamalan's movie, which is based on a bedtime story he wrote for his kids.
Warner Bros.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
It took five hours for Jones to get into The Pale Man costume… and then he had to look out the nose holes to see where he was going.
New Line Cinema
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
On the film's DVD, Jones said that the Pan suit was divided into many sections with its legs anchored to his hips and not his shoulders, which distributed the weight better.
New Line Cinema
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Jones' Silver Surfer prosthetic suit was developed by Spectral Motion, and a VFX program from Weta Digital amplified the Surfer's reflective surface.
20th Century Fox
Quarantine (2008)
It took four hours to transform Jones into the "thin infected man" with a full-body prosthetic, but the role only required one day of filming.
Columbia/TriStar
Fear Itself (2008)
Jones' rancher, Grady Edlund, returns home to his family after being lost in the forest and possessed by a cannibalistic monster.
Lions Gate
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
In this follow up to the 2004 cult classic, Jones played both Abe Sapien and the Angel of Death. The wings alone weighed 40 pounds.
Columbia Pictures
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (2010)
In this biopic of French singer Serge Gainsbourg, Jones plays an animated exaggeration of the title character, which acts as his conscience.
One World Films
Legion (2010)
Jones' double-jointed legs came in handy when he played the Ice Cream Man in "Legion."
Screen Gems
The Candy Shop (2010)
This short film was actually a "fairytale" about a child sex trafficking epidemic in Atlanta.
Whitestone Motion Pictures
Dragon Age: Redemption (2011)
In this web series, Jones' character prepared a blood magic ritual designed to open a rift in time.
Tallis Productions
Rock Jocks (2012)
Jones plays a character named Smoking Jesus in this sci-fi comedy about dysfunctional government employees responsible for shooting down asteroids that are headed for earth.
Bright Penny Productions
Falling Skies (2013)
As a Volm, Jones' Cochise has a particularly durable body that can withstand great stress and punishment.
TNT
The Strain (2014)
The FX horror drama series had Jones playing an "Ancient," one of the seven original vampires.
Photo: Frederick. M. Brown
Arrow (2015)
Jake Simmons, a meta-human from Central City, terrorizes the Starling City.
CW
Crimson Peak (2015)
Jones plays not one woman but two in this gothic romance starring Jessica Chastain.
Legendary Entertainment
Gehenna: Where Death Lives (2016)
A cave dating back to World War II is discovered in a long-abandoned Japanese military base. Inside is a frail, deformed elderly man -- another remarkable Jones character.
Nosferatu (2016)
Bram Stoker's infamous vampire, Count Dracula, became Jones' Count Orlok in "Nosferatu," a remake of the 1922 silent horror classic.
BeamScreen Productions
And the real Doug Jones...
... continues to be the most sought after actor in town, with no less than 20 film and TV projects currently in various phases of production, including a movie about the Internet myth known as Slender Man, "Hellboy 3" and "Star Trek: Discovery."
Getty Images
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You may not recognize the ”Star Trek: Discovery“ actor, but you’ve seen him — a lot
You may not recognize actor Doug Jones, who just joined "Star Trek: Discovery." But he's squished himself into a box for a jeans commercial, been in videos for Madonna and Marilyn Manson, and played zombies, aliens and the scariest monster in "Pan's Labyrinth." Here are some of his most memorable (and unrecognizable) appearances.