University of Alabama graduate lands job of starship captain on "Star Trek: Discovery"

A University of Alabama graduate will soon boldly go where no UA graduate has gone before.

Sonequa Martin-Green, a Russellville native who graduated from the Capstone in 2007, will be the captain of a starship when the television show "Star Trek: Discovery" premieres its fourth season Nov. 18 on the video streaming service Paramount Plus.

Her character, Michael Burnham, was promoted to captain at the end of the series' third season, but a trailer for the series' fourth season shows her sitting in the captain's chair and carrying out a dangerous mission.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Tuscaloosa-area hospitality industry rebounding, but more is needed

She and the crew of the starship Discovery must contend with a massive anomaly that threatens to destroy life throughout the galaxy, according the show business trade publication Variety's summary of the trailer that debuted Oct. 9 at Comic-Con in New York.

According to Variety, this is a milestone for the science fiction franchise, marking the first time a Black woman has held the rank of captain in a live-action version of a "Trek" show.

Although "Star Trek: Discovery" is a sequel set 1,000 years after the original Gene Roddenberry series, which premiered in 1966, earlier episodes revealed that Martin-Green's character is the adopted sister of Mr. Spock, the Vulcan character made famous by Leonard Nimoy.

While she has been the star of "Star Trek: Discovery" since its 2017 debut, Martin-Green is also known for portraying Sasha on the post-apocalyptic horror series “The Walking Dead” on AMC. She has also been featured as Tamara on “Once Upon a Time,” and in recurring roles on “The Good Wife,” “NYC 22,” “New Girl” and “Army Wives.” Her TV debut was on an episode of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”

This summer, she played the role of LeBron James' wife in "Space Jam: A New Legacy." 

ACTING AT UA: Some rising stars learned their craft at the University of Alabama

At UA, Martin-Green majored in forensics and graduated from the Department of Theatre and Dance. According to a previous story in The Tuscaloosa News, she shone in works as diverse as George Bernard Shaw’s “Major Barbara” and the disturbing “The Pillowman.” With an intense focus on stage combat – choreographed fighting in various forms, from hand-to-hand to weaponry  – she was cross-cast as a brawling Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet,” and choreographed fights for the comedy “Luv.”

In monthly Guerrilla Theatre productions, she was frequently highlighted performing intense fencing scenes.