Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp have joined Michelle Yeoh as the first official cast members of “Star Trek: Discovery.”
Jones will play Lt. Saru, a Starfleet science officer and a member of an alien species new to the “Star Trek” universe. Anthony Rapp will play Lt. Stamets, an astromycologist, fungus expert, and Starfleet science officer aboard the starship Discovery. Yeoh, whose addition to the cast was reported last week by Variety, will play Captain Georgiou, the Starfleet captain aboard the starship Shenzhou.
All three roles were confirmed Tuesday by CBS. More cast members are expected to be announced in the coming days.
“Discovery” will be the first new series set in the “Star Trek” universe since “Enterprise,” which ended a four-season run on UPN in 2005. Produced by CBS Television Studios, “Discovery” was given a greenlight last year and intended to be the first original scripted series exclusive to streaming service CBS All Access. But the series has been subject to delays and changes to the creative team. Citing production demands, CBS in September bumped the series’ premiere to May, moving “The Good Wife” spinoff “The Good Fight” into the February perch previously occupied by “Discovery.” In October, executive producer Bryan Fuller stepped back from his role as showrunner, handing over day-to-day operations for the series to fellow exec producers Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, who were joined by Akiva Goldsman in a top creative role.
Rapp originated the role of Mark Cohen in the original Broadway production of the musucal “Rent.” His series credits include Showtime’s “The Knick” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Jones is veteran actor of genre films, with credits including “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Hellboy.” He played the Silver Surfer in 2007’s “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Yeoh is best known for her role in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
