The Star Trek Character You May Not Remember Winona Ryder Played

It's no secret that Winona Ryder has played several fascinating characters over the years, with some inexplicably going under the radar, including a pretty crucial role in one of the highest-grossing and most critically acclaimed movies from the "Star Trek" franchise.

While "Stranger Things" may be her biggest hit on the small screen, when it comes to the realm of movies, there is no denying Winona Ryder has several notable credits, including "Girl, Interrupted," "Little Women," "Edward Scissorhands," "Beetlejuice," and "Bram Stoker's Dracula." But out of her many accomplishments on the big screen, some may have forgotten that she also appeared in the 2009 film, "Star Trek."

In the reboot, Winona Ryder played Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Spock (Zachary Quinto). She is first introduced offering emotional support to her son before he decides to join the Vulcan Science Academy or Starfleet, reminding him whatever is decided, Spock will always have a proud mother. The character's final moments came when an emotional Spock, against all logic, attempted and failed to save her when the planet Vulcan was destroyed. Ryder was also in a deleted scene that featured her and Sarek (Ben Cross) after Spock's birth, giving their son his infamous name.

Although her time on screen was brief, Winona Ryder's run as Amanda Grayson left a lasting impression and undoubtedly brought a fresh perspective to the role, which isn't easy for a part that has been played by more actors than most people may realize.

Winona Ryder's run as Spock's mom isn't the only time the character has appeared in the "Star Trek" franchise. One of the earliest appearances of Amanda Grayson came from Majel Barrett, wife of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek." She voiced the maternal persona for the "Star Trek: The Animated Series" episode "Yesteryear" in 1973. Cynthia Blaise took on the role for the 1989 motion picture "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," playing a younger version of Grayson. And in more recent years, Mira Kirshner played the part in "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

But the first person to play Amanda Grayson was Jane Wyatt in the 1967 "Star Trek" episode "Journey to Babel" and in the 1986 feature "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." As time passed, Wyatt was shocked to learn how much of an impact she had on fans. "The three big movies or shows for which I get fan mail are Star Trek, Father Knows Best, and Lost Horizon," Wyatt said in an interview years ago, according to StarTrek.com. "But Star Trek is the oddest of them all. Complete strangers come up and call me 'Amanda.' Once, I got off the plane in Iceland, where I was going fishing, and somebody down below yelled, 'Amanda!' Well, I didn't know who Amanda was until I realized that was my name in Star Trek. It's absolutely crazy!"

While the character has only made so many appearances, Amanda Grayson has not only made her presence known to fans with each inclusion in the franchise, but she has also undeniably managed to live long and prosper throughout the history of "Star Trek."