Who Plays Spock's Mother On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

Amanda Grayson, the human mother of the half-Vulcan science officer Spock, has appeared in several different "Star Trek" properties since Emmy Award winner Jane Wyatt first played the character in the original series in 1967. From the "First Lady of Star Trek," Majel Barrett, voicing her in "Star Trek: The Animated Series" to two-time Academy Award nominee Winona Ryder's portrayal in the 2009 film "Star Trek," no matter where Spock ends up in the franchise, his mother is bound to show up sooner or later, and Ethan Peck's take on the mind-melding persona from "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is no exception.

In Season 2, Episode 5 ("Charades"), after being pulled into a mysterious anomaly, Spock finds himself waking up in sickbay with his logic-loving Vulcan half gone, leaving him riddled with illogical emotions as a full-fledged human. The timing couldn't be worse, as the ceremonial engagement meal, or V'Shal dinner, where Spock needs to impress his future in-laws, can no longer be postponed. Luckily, Spock has his mother, played by Mia Kirshner, who teaches him about his human side, mainly how to lie, and plays a crucial role in helping him pull off pretending nothing is wrong. Even though they make it through the ordeal, when Kirshner's motherly persona is disrespected, Spock comes clean and defends her, which brings the two closer together.

Before Amanda educated her son on his human heritage in "Strange New Worlds," Kirshner played the role of Spock's mother and the foster mother of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) in eight episodes of "Star Trek: Discovery." While she has had plenty of "Star Trek" experience, Amanda Grayson is far from the only credit on the actor's resume.

Prior to playing Spock's mother in two popular "Star Trek" shows, Mia Kirshner took on a wide range of roles that people probably recognize. Some highlights include "24," "The Vampire Diaries," and "Defiance." She also had a rewarding experience playing the persona that fans loved to hate, Jenny Schecter, in 70 episodes of "The L Word." The actor said of the show to Afterellen.com, "In retrospect, in spite of some of the weirdness with the storylines, particularly with my character, it was wonderful. Showtime gave us a lot of freedom, and I realize how rare that is, and how lucky we were to have those jobs." 

In addition to her small-screen efforts, the actor has done a number of movies, like "Not Another Teen Movie," "The Crow: City of Angels," and "30 Days of Night: Dark Days." She even received praise for her performance in the 2006 Brian De Palma film "The Black Dahlia." Mick LaSalle wrote in his review for SFGate, "Mia Kirshner, who plays the Dahlia, is seen only in audition and stage footage, but she makes a real impression of the Dahlia as a sad, lonely dreamer, a pathetic figure."

When choosing which parts to play, Kirshner employs a simple yet reasonable strategy. "Usually, I choose characters that are completely different from me, and of course, it really comes down to the director and the writing," the actor said in an interview with Filmsactu.com. Her efforts and careful planning have resulted in a fascinating array of credits, which includes Amanda Grayson in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."