Chris Obi
Chris Obi

Per the below tweet posted to the “Star Trek” CBS series’ Twitter account just moments ago, Chris Obi has been cast in the upcoming reboot as a Klingon – specifically as “T’Kuvma,” the Klingon leader seeking to unite the Klingon houses. So this obviously means that, like the other Klingons, he’ll be covered in makeup. Let’s hope that all the black actors cast in key roles in the series aren’t all Klingons, or other alien characters that will require heavy makeup, so much that they’re unrecognizable.

The 3 actors mentioned in the tweet (including Obi) join the previously-cast Douglas Jones, Michelle Yeoh (cast as the ship’s captain) and Anthony Rapp, who were the first 3 actors to join the series.




Still to be cast is the series lead, which, you might recall, during CBS’ portion of the Television Critics Association (TCA) summer press tour this year, “Star Trek: Discovery” (as the new series is called) executive producer Bryan Fuller said that the lead character will be a woman and she very likely will be non-white. The vast majority of actresses who had been seen for the part up until that time had been either African-American or Latina (said Deadline in August, according their source). We know it’s not Michelle Yeoh (she’s been cast to play the ship’s captain), because Fuller also said that the lead won’t be the captain of the ship, but she will be the series’ lead, with the goal being to tell stories through some other character’s eyes who is not the captain, as has typically been the case in past “Star Trek” series and movies. The lead will be “a lieutenant commander with caveats” Fuller said, and their intention is to go diverse, not just with the lead role, but with the entire cast. He also added that at least one of the key characters in the series will be gay. The diversity will also include the alien species and robots.

So we wait to find out who this non-white woman lead will be.

To be titled “Star Trek: Discovery,” the brand-new series will introduce new characters, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.

“Star Trek: Discovery” is coming to CBS All Access in May, 2017, following the premiere on the CBS Television Network, and will be distributed concurrently on Netflix in 188 countries and through Bell Media in Canada. This is part of CBS’ attempt to boost subscribers for its new CBS All Access platform, as if it wants to compete with other SVOD platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.




The first season will be 13 episodes, but little has been revealed in terms of story, other than to say that the new series will be set in the Prime Universe (as opposed to the Kelvin Timeline used in the J.J. Abrams-produced films) and will take place about 10 years before Captain Kirk’s five-year mission. In other words, the series will act as a bridge between the first two series in the timeline, about a century after “Star Trek: Enterprise” (which was a prequel) and a decade before the original series.

As for Chris Obi, he’ll next be seen in Starz’s 10-episode first season of “American Gods,” the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel. Obi plays Anubis, the commanding ancient Egyptian god of the dead, gently guiding mortals through the judgment of their souls.

Chris Obi is an English actor, most recently seen in “Snow White and the Huntsman” where he worked with director Rupert Sanders. Obi reunites once again with Sanders for the upcoming Dreamwords/Paramount Pictures release “Ghost in the Shell.” He has also graced the stages of many theatres across the UK playing a variety of roles and has also lent his voice to numerous radio plays. Additional Film credits include “The Counselor,” “Burke & Hare” and “The Call Up.”

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