| Mary Chieffo | |
| Birth Date: | 7 November 1992 |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, US |
| Education: | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 1998–present |
| Television: | |
| Mother: | Beth Grant |
Mary Elizabeth Chieffo (born November 7, 1992) is an American actress known for portraying the Klingon L'Rell on the television series .[1]
Chieffo was born on November 7, 1992,[2] in Los Angeles, California.[3] She grew up in the neighborhood of Valley Village, Los Angeles in California, only daughter of actors Michael Chieffo and Beth Grant.
She attended the Drama division of Juilliard School in New York City, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2015.[4] One of her classmates was future castmate Mary Wiseman.[5]
Chieffo came out publicly as a lesbian on the red carpet prior to the Star Trek Day event held September 8, 2021, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California.[6] She later clarified that she identifies as "panromantic demisexual and proudly in a lesbian relationship".[7] A few days later, she confirmed via her Twitter feed that she was dating writer and actor Madi Goff.[8] Chieffo wrote the introduction essay for the 2023 edition of Marvel's Voices: Pride #1,[9] reflecting on the need for queer representation in media.[10]
Her first high profile acting position was on Star Trek: Discovery, where she played the recurring character of L'Rell, a Klingon warrior and spy who becomes leader of the Klingon Empire at the end of Season 1.[11] Her writing and producing debut was Operation Othello, a virtual reality adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, where she also plays Lt. Iago in a gender twist from the original play. In 2022 she reprised her role as Iago in "Iago: The Green Eyed Monster", a 6-minute futuristic musical AR prequel to Othello, nominated for "Best Immersive Experience" in the 2022 Tribeca Festival.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–19 | L'Rell[13] | recurring character (13 episodes) | ||
| 2020 | Operation Othello | Ensign Iago | VR TV movie, she was also the writer and producer.[14] | |
| 2022 | Iago: The Green Eyed Monster | Iago | VR short movie, she was also the writer and director. |