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Published Jan 25, 2023

Amanda Grayson is Star Trek's Greatest Mom

It's only logical we recognize Spock and Burnham's mom on Mia Kirshner's birthday.

StarTrek.com

In celebration of Star Trek: Discovery 's Mia Kirshner 's birthday, it's only logical that we take a moment to recognize Star Trek 's greatest and most memorable mom.

Mr. Spock’s mother, Amanda Grayson , is the human teacher who married the Vulcan ambassador Sarek and, not long after, gave birth to everyone’s favorite half-human/half-Vulcan.

The character was first played by Jane Wyatt in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “ Journey to Babel .” Wyatt was a perfect choice for the role, as she’d already been, in a way, America’s mother for years, having portrayed the beloved Margaret Anderson on the classic TV sitcom Father Knows Best .

Years later, Leonard Nimoy famously reunited the Vulcan family when he, Mark Lenard (Sarek) and Wyatt appeared in Star Trek IV: T he Voyage Home . Wyatt once again imbued Amanda with a sense of warmth and love as she guided Spock toward reclaiming his humanness following his demise and renaissance on the Genesis Planet.

During an interview she conducted years ago, Wyatt commented on Amanda Grayson’s enduring impact on her career and people in general. “The three big movies or shows for which I get fan mail are Star Trek , Father Knows Best and Lost Horizon ,” she said. “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!”

“Journey to Babel” and The Voyage Home marked Wyatt’s only appearances as Amanda, but the character turned up in and was referenced in other media, and was essayed by several other actresses.

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry voiced Amanda for the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode “Yesteryear,” while Cynthia Blaise portrayed a younger version of Amanda in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .

Of course, Winona Ryder played a doomed version of the character in Star Trek (2009) . In the film's production notes, Zachary Quinto, who plays the Kelvin Timeline's Spock, shared, "Winona brought a real tenderness to the role and she really highlights the juxtaposition between her heartfelt way of being and Sarek's logic."

Most recently, Mia Kirshner appears as Amanda Grayson, Spock and his adopted sister Michael Burnham's mother, on Star Trek: Discovery . With her portrayal in Discovery , Kirshner demonstrates Amanda's determination, strength, and the lengths she will go in order to protect and care for her family.

OK, now it’s your turn. Do you agree with us that Amanda Grayson is Star Trek ’s greatest mom? We're sure we'll hear support for Lwaxana Troi, the Horta, Dr. Crusher, Moogie, B'Elanna Torres and Carol Marcus, among others. So, bring it on!

This article was originally published on May 7, 2011.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are currently streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. Internationally, the series is available on Paramount+ in Australia, Italy, Latin America, the U.K. and South Korea, as well as on Pluto TV in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland on the Pluto TV Sci-Fi channel. It will also stream exclusively on Paramount+ in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria later this year. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. STAR TREK: DISCOVERY is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Amanda Grayson (alternate reality)

Amanda Grayson was a Human teacher from Earth , wife to Sarek and mother of Spock . ( TOS : " The Naked Time ")

• 1.1 Origins
• 3.1 Background information
• 3.2 Apocrypha
• 3.3 External link

History [ ]

Origins [ ].

Amanda was born on Earth around the turn of the 23rd century . ( TOS : " This Side of Paradise "; TAS : " Yesteryear ") Captain Spock once implied that she was a descendant of Human author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) Her family had a genetic predisposition to dyslexia . ( DIS : " Light and Shadows ")

According to StarTrek.com , Amanda Grayson was born in 2210 . [1] (X)

When Amanda was young, her mother was known to say to her daughter , " Isik for your thoughts. " She never explained to her daughter what an isik was. ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ")

Amanda met Sarek , the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. The two later married , and she returned to Vulcan with Sarek. ( TOS : " Amok Time ") The two were in the city of ShiKahr where Amanda gave birth to her only son, Spock , in 2230 . ( TOS : " Journey to Babel "; TAS : " Yesteryear ")

According to the Star Trek Compendium (1st ed., p. 127), an early draft of the script for TOS : " Journey to Babel " suggested that Sarek and Amanda had been married for "thirty-eight (Vulcan?) years"; in Earth years, this would suggest 2230.

The history is the same for both the prime and alternate versions of Amanda as it predates Nero 's arrival in 2233 .

In the 2240s , Spock got into a fight with another Vulcan child at the Vulcan Learning Center when he referred to Spock's mother as a "Human whore."

Around 2249 , when Spock was considering completing the kolinahr discipline, which would have purged the last vestiges of his emotions, he expressed his wish that Amanda not consider his choice to live a life free from emotion as a reflection upon her. Amanda assured her son that no matter what he chose, she would always be proud of him. Spock ultimately decided to enroll in Starfleet Academy rather than the Vulcan Science Academy after the head minister of the Vulcan Council referred to Spock's mother as a "disadvantage".

In 2258 , Vulcan was attacked by the Romulan mining vessel Narada . Attempting to preserve the knowledge of the Vulcan culture, Sarek, Amanda, and the Vulcan Council went into the katric ark , making evacuation by transporter impossible. Spock beamed down to the surface and evacuated them from the ark so that they could be beamed aboard the USS Enterprise . As the transporter was initiated, the ledge beneath Amanda collapsed, preventing a viable transporter lock, and Amanda was lost.

James T. Kirk later used Amanda's death to encourage an emotional reaction from Spock by questioning whether he ever loved her (as an eyewitness to Spock's reaction to her death, he knew this was his best chance to successfully do so), thus forcing Spock to recognize that he had been emotionally compromised by her death and was thus unsuited to command the current mission against Nero . Spock and Sarek later spoke about Spock's inability to control his anger at Nero for causing Amanda's death, prompting Sarek, knowing that suppressing such strong emotion would've been the last thing she would want Spock to do, to admit to his son that he had genuinely loved his wife, helping Spock achieve a greater control of himself. ( Star Trek )

Following Amanda's death, Spock gifted a Vulcan amulet she had owned, which was made of vokaya , to Nyota Uhura . After Spock ended their relationship in 2263 , Uhura tried to return the amulet but Spock refused. Spock was later able to use the amulet to track Uhura and the captured Enterprise crewmembers on Altamid . ( Star Trek Beyond )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Amanda, Sarek and their newborn son (deleted scene)

Amanda Grayson was portrayed by Winona Ryder .

Additional scenes featuring Amanda were shot for the film Star Trek , but cut before the final release. One such scene features Amanda and Sarek (predating Nero's incursion, Ryder and Ben Cross were actually playing Jane Wyatt and Mark Lenard 's "prime" characters), together with the newborn Spock. Another involves Amanda arguing with Sarek about the boyhood Spock and how he should react to bullying, after he has been involved in a fight with another Vulcan boy. Though Amanda at one point admits she wants Spock to embrace being Vulcan, she is of the opinion he should, every now and then, do the "Human" thing by occasionally walking away from conflict. Frustrated with Sarek, she goes on to do precisely that.

The writers expected that, because Spock was to lose his mother later in the film, writing Amanda into a lot of the early scenes of the movie would increase the impact of that loss. According to Producer Damon Lindelof , however, the writing team actually found the opposite turned out to be true. ("Amanda and Sarek Argue After Spock Fights" audio commentary , Star Trek  (Special Edition) DVD / Star Trek  (Three disc Blu-ray) / Star Trek: The Compendium Blu-ray special features)

One reason why the writers decided to have Amanda die in the film Star Trek was that their depiction of the friendship between Kirk and Spock was inspired by that between Paul McCartney and John Lennon , both of whom suffered through the death of a parent in childhood (Kirk loses his father, George Kirk , in the film). [2] In the film's script but not the final version of the movie, Amanda's final words were to tell Spock, "" It's okay. To be scared. " Spock's memory of her, immediately after her death, was referred to in the script as "the ghostly image of her – beautiful, holding, frozen in space – an image he'll be haunted by forever – as it fades away, evanescing like mist." [3]

Concerning Ryder's performance as Amanda Grayson, Spock actor Zachary Quinto once stated, " Winona brought a real tenderness to the role and she really highlights the juxtaposition between her heartfelt way of being and Sarek's logic. " [4] (X)

Apocrypha [ ]

In the first issue of the IDW comic mini-series Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness , Spock would have a recurring nightmare where during the destruction of Vulcan, he was able to successfully transport Amanda safely to the Enterprise , only for a hull breach to occur in the transporter room. Amanda's last words to Spock were that she blames him for dooming everyone as Spock is sucked out into space while the ship soon explodes and kills everyone, including Amanda.

Amanda resurrected by Nekron

In the comic crossover mini-series Star Trek - Green Lantern: The Spectrum War , an ancient cosmic being named Nekron , who had crossed over from another universe arrives where Vulcan used to be in 2262 and used his power to resurrect the planet and its inhabitants, including Amanda so that he could begin a new conquest of death in the universe. The Enterprise arrives with several Lanterns from the same universe as Nekron and battle him and his undead army. Though Spock says that his mother is dead, the reanimated Amanda points out that he is hesitant to fire his phaser at her. He is then saved by Green Lantern John Stewart who blasts her with his Power Ring . Stewart offers his condolences to Spock as he knows what it feels like to see people he love be twisted like that, to which Spock offered his gratitude while explaining that the decision was as logical as it was necessary. After that, Kirk has Spock wear all seven Lantern Power Rings, correctly guessing that Spock had the sufficient strength needed to channel the entirety of the Emotional Spectrum and summon the Life Entity to defeat Nekron. It then uses its power to cleanse every trace of Nekron's power, which results in the destruction of Vulcan and its inhabitants once again.

External link [ ]

• Amanda Grayson (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Star Trek: Prodigy

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The many faces of Amanda Grayson

Credit: Michael Gibson/CBS

For a character that has only appeared in one Star Trek episode and (briefly) in two movies prior to Star Trek: Discovery , Amanda Grayson has had an outsized impact on the Trek universe. She presents herself as a dutiful wife to her husband Sarek and a devoted mother to her son, Spock. But underneath that meek exterior, there is a will of fire and steel, and a determination to do right by her family. Her portrayal on screen has been rocky and flat at times, but thanks to Mia Kirshner and the Star Trek: Discovery writers, she’s finally becoming important in her own right, rather than because of who she’s connected to.

Amanda was first introduced to the screen in The Original Series episode “Journey to Babel,” where she was played by Jane Wyatt. “Journey to Babel” revealed quite a bit about Spock’s history, as it centered on his strained relationship with his father, Sarek. In the episode, Ambassador Sarek boards the Enterprise with his wife, Amanda, but refuses to speak to his son because of their estrangement over Spock’s decision to enter Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Science Academy.

Credit: CBS

This performance set the stage for Amanda, though her subsequent portrayals are much flatter. In “Journey to Babel,” she’s very good at being who she needs to be, depending on the occasion, and displays a sparkling wit and feisty personality that’s often missing later. As a result, Amanda’s role is often relegated to a supportive wife and nurturing mother; while there’s nothing wrong with being either of those things, it’s hardly a full portrayal of a three-dimensional character with her own motivations and ability to make decisions.

We don’t see Amanda again until J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot. While she’s played by the exquisite Winona Ryder, she doesn’t have much to do except to show the audience she loves her son and then dies, setting the course for Spock’s development over the movie. It’s a criminal underuse of such a great actress.

Credit: Paramount

Amanda arrives on the Discovery after stealing Spock’s medical file from Starbase 5. That, in and of itself, sets the stage for this fantastic performance that adds depth to the character that’s been missing across her franchise portrayal. If we know anything about Amanda, we know that she’s a caring mother. But Kirshner showed us just how far Amanda would be willing to go to protect her son. She has an iron will and an almost Vulcan stubbornness, and she’s willing to use it to figure out what happened to Spock.

At the end of the episode, Amanda discovers that Michael wounded her son in order to protect him. And what she does after she finds out is telling: She gives Michael a kiss and then leaves, saying she’ll find Spock herself. Amanda still loves her adopted daughter, but she doesn’t trust her to do what’s best for her brother, given past decisions. The coldness that Amanda displays is deep. It’s a rift that will need to be mended, for sure, but the kiss signals that Amanda still loves her daughter and will fight for her family.

Credit: Jan Thijs/CBS

• Star Trek: Discovery

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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.

Amanda Grayson has been in a lot of Star Trek

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."

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Winona Ryder is Amanda Grayson

| November 8, 2007 | By: Anthony Pascale 240 comments so far

Ryder made her film debut in the 1986 comedy Lucas . Although she gained recognition for her role in Tim Burton’s Beetle Juice , her breakthrough came with her starring role in the 1988 black comedy Heathers , opposite Christian Slater (who appeared as a comm officer in Star Trek VI). She went on to receive Academy Award nominations for her roles in Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence and the 1994 adaptation of Little Women . She has also starred in such movies as Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands , Francis Ford Coppola’s rendition of Dracula , Ben Stiller’s Reality Bites , and many other major motion pictures. Star Trek will not be Ryder’s first foray into science fiction. Besides the aforementioned Tim Burton films (which have a bit of sci-fi in them), Ryder also starred in Alien: Resurrection ,along with Ron Perlman (ST:NEM: Reman Viceroy). More recently, Ryder starred with Keanu Reeves in Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly .

The character of Spock’s mother Amanda first appeared in the Original Series episode “Journey to Babel.” Amanda later appeared (voiced by Majel Barrett) in the Animated Series episode “Yesteryear” which is the only TAS episode to be considered canon. That episode deals with an adult Spock going back in time to assist his childhood self. Wyatt reprised the role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , where she helped the newly resurrected Spock get in touch with his human side. The last appearance was a brief flashback showing the birth of Spock in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (played by Cynthia Blaise). More on Amanda Grayson at Memory Alpha .

More on Ryder: IMDB Page | Wiki Page | Fan Site

Like I said, we now have someone on the inside who can sneek us some behind the scenes goodies.

In terms of looks, I can see it. However, in terms of acting ability I can’t. But, they’ve been spot-on so far. Lets see

Oh God give me a break. They may as well have hired a wooden plank to play her.

sorry for short article…submitted via iPhone. Will update in a couple of hours

I like Winona Ryder, but she’s only 36!! How old is the young Spock supposed to be in this movie anyway??

Hey, with Ryder on the set, they better make sure none of the props go missing and end up for sale on ebay!!

WOW. Now THAT’S cool. Hopefully they’ll use her ONLY in flashbacks to when Spock was just a wee lad (a la “Yesteryear”), since aging her to look more like Jane Wyatt in “Journey to Babel” is asking for trouble.

I’ve always liked Winona Ryder, even when she tosses a wonky accent at us from time-to-time (see BRAM STROKER’S DRACULA).

Knowing Abrams’ penchant for using flashbacks, I’m really hoping we get some GREAT insight into the (much) younger days of Kirk and Spock, even if they’re only tantalizing glimpses spread throughout the new film.

The news is coming fast and furious, and is it too early to state that this is shaping up to be the GREATEST CAST OF ACTORS EVER ASSEMBLED FOR A “STAR TREK” FILM??? Only time will tell… CAN’T WAIT FOR ’08!!!

Info rolling in now!

That’s what I was getting at, Harry. You said it better.

WEDNESDAY ADDAMS???!!!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

She’s, what, 17?

Wait, Wednesday was Christina Ricci. Winona was BeetleJuice’s Friend.

(Still think she’s only 17 or 18, though. )

Sorry about the double post. Last half was accidentally cut off somehow and I didn’t catch it until it appeared..

Hey, I just read that Jennifer Morrison (from House) is in the Trek movie! Maybe that’s why she died her hair blonde for this season of House……she’s playing Rand!!!

Not a bad choice……I like her as an actress!

Ms Lydia Deets is is a Vulcan! Didn’t see this one coming!

Name your source, Harry. You scoopster, you.

A bunch of you were asking for “names” in the cast. Be careful what you wish for. :)

This is the death of Star Trek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m boycotting this film!!!

Just kidding. I’m not sure about her being Amanda Grayson, if the report is true, but if she’s shown in a flashback, there’s a decent chance Winona will do a good job.

now this choice I can agree with:)

I read about Morrison on Aintitcool.com, which I know is about as reliable a source as asking Britney Spears for fashion tips, but hey….it’s an interesting rumour!!

I’m sure with Winona Ryder’s acting ability, she’ll “steal” every scene she’s in!!

Okay I wasn’t going to say anything until someone else mentioned it but in one of those pics I totally think it’s Jennifer Morrison from House…it totally looks like her hold on, I’ll link:

http://www.jfxonline.com/jfxonline/2007/11/08/on-set-im-an-extra-jim-not-a-cult-member/jj-abrams-star-trek-begins-production-5/

#22 – It could be worse: JJ could replace her with Sofia Coppola at the last minute. I swear, Sofia’s performance in [i]The Godfather Part III[/i] made Lois Chiles’ Dr. Goodhead in [i]Moonraker[/i] seem perky and animated by comparison. :)

Actually, I do agree with others that Ms. Rider could very well pull it off in flashback scenes (I do think she’s underrated as an actress), but I’m not convinced that making her up to be closer to Jane Wyatt’s “Amok Time” age will work. But, like everything else, We Shall See(tm).

(Oops, got the formatting wrong. My bad!)

Wow, that one came outta left field

#21 – The webiste that has all the spy photos has one of a girl that looks alot like Jennifer Morrison.

23 – nevermind, I need to read other post before I post. stupid me

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hide the valuables!

So, have they signed Joaquin yet as Sarek??

Yeah, I’m with the other poster: MILF! :)

Didn’t see this one coming…

Not impressed with this casting decision on first impressions, but will reserve judgement for what may just be a minor role overall.

Wow, this is one interesting cast Abrams has come up with!

You can DEFINITELY sense him trying to appeal to a younger crowd with this movie. I think he realized most people weren’t getting drawn in by stuffy older dudes like Warner, McDowell, and Abraham. If you want to revitilize Trek and bring in a larger audience, you need some cooler and hipper actors like Bana, Cho, and Pegg.

It’s not about them being “big” names– just cool, familiar faces that people enjoy seeing on screen, and wouldn’t expect to see in a Star Trek movie.

Frankly I think it’s a BRILLIANT idea. People are really going to take notice of this movie next year.

For some reason I find this casting very exciting, I don’t why but I do. I really excited to see who they cast has Sarek. To be that is a role almost has hard to cast has the main cast. I know for me I will always think of Mark Lenard has Sarek. His voice was a major reason for it. When he spoke you listened to what he was saying. I would love to see Hugo Weaving play him.

It is Jennifer Morrison. Possibly Rand??? But, it is her.

Morrison as Rand would be grand There’s no better choice in the land With her you get class And a nice piece of ___ With her you can strike up the band!

Nice one Harry!:)

Wow this is totally cool!

I was so hoping that there wouldn’t be any stick figures with balloon boobs in this movie. Great. Now we’ve got to deal with Wynona Rider at conventions for the next 40 years. She looks like a moth.

And is that that anorexic bobble head from House? All those anorexic bobble heads look alike to me. Say it aint so.

J.J., please. Remember “Lost” and “Alias”? Find us another Evangeline Lilly or Jen Garner. You’re really good at that.

lol, I think you need your eyes checked. Morrison is thin and fit, yeah, but she’s not one of those bony freaks you’re thinking of.

And Lilly is probably the exact same size as her!

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I love Winona and never would have thought of her in this role though, but I am very happy about this.

She’s pretty young to play Amanda. Seemingly way too young.

She’s too young to play adult Spock’s mom, so I’m guessing there will be a flashback to Spock’s childhood, “Yesteryear” era.

Chances are, because this is “Spock’s story,” Abrams needed a younger actress for flashback scenes of Spock as a boy or teenager. Then he can simply age her for the later flashbacks.

Winona is 36 now, so with the right makeup she could probably be made to look much older.

Oops, looks like Max beat me to it. :)

This is the first casting decision that has made me say “What The Frell?”

While I am a fan of Ms. Ryder, I can not imagine what would attract Sarek to her. Was he stuck in room with her during Pon Far, with no other options? She’ll have to have more range as an actor than I have ever seen her display before to pull this one off.

Wow, wait ’til it’s announced that Bronson Pinchot is playing Sarek.

Whoops…

#46 SolFlyer — remember what Sarek said about marrying her: “At the time, it seemed the logical thing to do.” ;)

His Mother could be 108 years old and still look 36 (Vulcans live about 200 years right?)

Sorry if someone else already mentioned this – dont have time to read through all the posts. Work and all

#49 , his mother is human , ( but humans in the future do live longer , and look younger )

@49: correct! i think that’s even more a mistake in the old movies, Spock’s parents look almost to old in there, I think.

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Winona Ryder to Play Spock's Mom in 'Star Trek' Film

The movie takes place during the early days when Spock was a young Vulcan

Winona Ryder is about to get the Star Trek treatment – and guaranteed future work at sci-fi conventions.

The actress has been cast to play the Vulcan mother of young Spock in the upcoming Star Trek film, directed by JJ Abrams for Paramount Pictures, Variety reports .

The latest installment takes place during the crew’s early days at the Starfleet Academy. It will also star Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy, and Eric Bana as Nero, the villain.

Ryder has two other movies to look forward to next year: the recently completed The Informers and the soon-to-be-filmed Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

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Star Trek: Discovery Casts Spock's Mom, Amanda Grayson

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Star Trek: Discovery has cast the role of Spock's biological mother and Michael Burnham's adoptive mother, Amanda Grayson.

RELATED: No, The Shorthand for Star Trek: Discovery Is Not ‘STD.’

While at the blue carpet premiere of Star Trek: Discovery last month, the folks at TrekMovie had the chance to talk to the show's executive producers Aaron Harberts, Gretchen J. Berg, and Heather Kadin regarding how big a role Sarek’s family will play going forward in the series. Although the three couldn't reveal much -- including whether Spock will make an appearance at some point -- Harberts did reveal to the outlet that The L Word actress Mia Kirshner has been cast as Amanda Grayson. The role, of course, was originated by Jane Wyatt in the season two episode of Stark Trek titled "Journey to Babel." The role was later played by actress Winona Ryder in director J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot.

Along with her work on The L Word , Kirshner has also appeared in Syfy's Defiance as well as the CW's The Vampire Diaries . It's currently unknown in which episode of Discovery Kirshner will make her debut as Amanda.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery Fueled Massive Increase in CBS Mobile App Downloads.

Set 10 years before the adventures of Kirk and Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series , Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Yeoh, Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp, with Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen J. Berg, Aaron Harberts, Akiva Goldsman, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serving as Executive Producers.

The series is currently streaming on CBS All Access in the United States, Crave TV in Canada, and Netflix internationally; it kicked off on September 24, and will run until November 5 before taking a short break until airing its second half in January 2018. The third episode is set to hit the streaming service today.

• Star Trek: Discovery (2017)

Slice of SciFi

This is How We Geek Out: Interviews, Reviews & More

Meet Spock’s Mom

November 9, 2007 By Sam Sloan 2 Comments

The role was played by the great dame of TV, Jane Wyatt for every appearance that Amanda made on the small and silver screen. Wyatt was the winner of 3 Emmy Awards over the course of her long television career, all for her role as the caring and intelligent 1950’s mother in “Father Knows Best.” Wyatt first appeared as Amanda in the 1967 Star Trek episode “Journey to Babel” and reprised the role in the 1986 Trek film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.” Although she had limited camera time, her performance as Spock’s mom left an indelible mark that permeated the entire history of Trek. One cannot think of Spock without remembering his father Sarek (Mark Lenard) and Jane Wyatt. She died last year at the age of 85.

J.J. Abrams will be including Spock’s mom in the new prequel Trek film due out on Christmas Day 2008 and has cast Golden Globe winning actress Winona Ryder to play Amanda. Spock is being portrayed by “Heroes” star Zachary Quinto (Sylar).

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November 9, 2007 at 5:37 pm

Hmmmm, if she will be doing Amanda, is it possible that Leonard Nimoy may be doing the role of Sarek? He certainly could do that role. It would make perfect sense in that instance to have him in that role. Sarek wasn’t happy when Spock joined Starfleet. Leonard Nimoy is familiar with the character of Sarek, having interacted with Mark Lenard. It will be interesting to see if that is what J,J. Abrams is planning on the role for Leonard Nimoy.

November 9, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Alisa, there’s one flaw in your theory. J.J. Abrams already said back in July that Nimoy will be playing Older Spock. Unless Nimoy is playing two characters, and I doubt that he will, Sarek will be played by someone else.

[…] Slice of SciFi announces the casting of Spock’s mother, Amanda, for the upcoming Star Trek reimagining. […]

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Spock’s mom will appear in ‘Star Trek: Discovery’—but when?

Spock’s father sarek is all over the new ‘star trek’ trailers. so where’s his wife, amanda grayson.

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw

Posted on Aug 8, 2017     Updated on May 22, 2021, 9:21 pm CDT

Spock’s dad has a surprisingly major role in  Star Trek: Discovery . The main character, Starfleet officer Michael Burnham, lost her parents at a young age and was raised in the Vulcan tradition by Spock’s parents.

James Frain plays Spock’s father, the Vulcan diplomat Sarek. He appears prominently in the trailers, depicted as one of Burnham’s key mentors. Presumably, his human wife Amanda Grayson was involved as well, but where is she?

Amanda Grayson first appeared in the Original Series episode “Journey to Babel” as a cheerful and charming counterpoint to Sarek’s stern Vulcan nature. Played by Winona Ryder in the 2009 reboot movie, she was killed off halfway through—another casualty of Hollywood’s obsession with dead moms and distant dads. In a similar vein, plans for the next Star Trek movie suggest the return of Kirk’s dad, ignoring his mother entirely. So, there’s reason to be worried that  Discovery might sideline Amanda Grayson in favor of more paternal tension with Sarek.

Fortunately, it sounds like that won’t happen.  Discovery ‘s creator Bryan Fuller said last year that he wanted to include Grayson, and while he was replaced by new showrunners , Grayson is still part of the story. She just isn’t in the trailers because they only include footage from the first few episodes.

At Comic-Con , James Frain said he’d just filmed an episode with Amanda Grayson. “In the last episode I shot, she had just been introduced,” he told TV Guide . “So I’m pretty sure we’re going to be finding out about that. But I haven’t read the last five episodes.”

Intriguingly, CBS hasn’t revealed who plays Amanda Grayson. Could it be someone famous, or are we massively overthinking a simple casting announcement? (Probably the latter.) Whoever it is, this highlights how little we know actually about  Discovery . Unlike the episodic nature of most Trek shows,  Discovery is highly serialized and may involve a more changeable cast. Even if we haven’t seen anything from Amanda Grayson yet, Sarek’s role suggests she’ll appear more in later episodes.

*First Published: Aug 8, 2017, 7:03 am CDT

Gavia Baker-Whitelaw is a staff writer at the Daily Dot, covering geek culture and fandom. Specializing in sci-fi movies and superheroes, she also appears as a film and TV critic on BBC radio. Elsewhere, she co-hosts the pop culture podcast Overinvested. Follow her on Twitter: @Hello_Tailor

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Star Trek: Discovery Adds Spock's Mom, Is Spock Next?

A Vampire Diaries alum got the role

One of Star Trek: Discovery 's biggest mysteries just got one step closer to being revealed.

TrekMovie.com revealed that Vampire Diaries alum Mia Kirshner will be joining Discovery as Amanda Grayson -- known better to Trekkers as Spock's mom. Amanda was previously played by Jane Wyatt in The Original Series and Winona Ryder in the 2009 Star Trek film.

This is crucial information because Discovery centers on disgraced First Officer Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ), who became the ward of Amanda and her Vulcan husband Sarek ( James Frain ) after Klingons killed her parents. When it was announced that Michael was raised by Vulcans -- specifically Sarek and Amanda -- the Trek universe began to buzz. How could Spock have an adopted sister that he's never spoken of?

Star Trek: Discovery 's Jason Isaacs: Lorca Is Ready to Do "Whatever the Hell Is Necessary"

So far, Discovery has only mentioned Spock once. In Episode 3 Michael says her adopted mom (Amanda) used to tell her a story but her adopted brother didn't participate. That's all we know about their relationship at this point. Executive producer Alex Kurtzman has promised that the reason Spock has never talked about Michael will be revealed -- and Amanda joining Discovery could be a huge part of that.

The question now is: Will Amanda's appearance also mean the possibility of a Spock cameo as well? Executive producers have been tight lipped about the possibility, but wouldn't it make an awesome Season 1 twist?

Star Trek: Discovery new episodes arrive every Sunday at 8:30/7:30c on CBS All Access .

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS)

CinemaBlend

What Makes 'Star Trek: Strange New World' Star Ethan Peck's Spock Stand Out From Leonard Nimoy's Performance, According To Adam Nimoy

Posted: July 9, 2024 | Last updated: July 9, 2024

When "Star Trek" first brought a new Spock to fans, Zachary Quinto's casting was offset by the revelation that Leonard Nimoy's Spock was still untouched. The game fully changed in "Discovery" Season 2 when Ethan Peck became the first actor to play the prime version of one of "Trek's" best characters. The actor continues to win the praise of fans in "Strange New Worlds," and Nimoy's son Adam told CinemaBlend he's a big fan despite the differences between the portrayals of Spock. When talking to Adam Nimoy about the release of his book "The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy," which is available for sale right now, we brought up Ethan Peck having written one of the praise-filled blurbs for the new release, and then asked the son of Spock how he felt about the young actor's performance in the streaming hit.

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Every kirk and spock replacement in star trek.

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What Happened To William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy’s Friendship?

"a lot of t'pol in t'lyn": what inspired star trek's new vulcan explained by lower decks creator, star trek 3: the search for spock cast guide & where are they now.

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy season 2!

• Ma'jel and Dal in Star Trek: Prodigy replicate Kirk and Spock's dynamic as Starfleet Academy rivals with mutual respect.
• Lt. T'Lyn and Lt. Brad Boimler in Star Trek: Lower Decks mirror Spock and Kirk's relationship, with T'Lyn using Vulcan logic to temper Boimler's anxiety.
• Captain Michael Burnham and Captain Saru in Star Trek: Discovery share a close friendship and working relationship similar to Kirk and Spock, with Saru as a rational observer to Burnham's risk-taking.

Star Trek 's long-running partnership between James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is so enduring that the franchise often seeks to replicate it. Spock provided a rational counterpoint to Kirk's rasher tendencies, making them a winning partnership that saved the galaxy countless times. Kirk and Spock's dynamic is a winning formula that has been repeated many times in other Star Trek TV shows and movies . The most obvious replications of the Kirk and Spock relationship are those human and Vulcan friendships in shows like Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise .

However, there are other Kirk and Spock-style relationships that don't follow that pattern. Arguably, the dynamic between Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) in Star Trek: The Next Generation was a reflection of Kirk and Spock's . However, because Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) was Picard's Number One, audiences rarely got to see Picard and Data's interplay in a command-level setting. The more overt Kirk and Spock replacements post- Star Trek: The Original Series retain the dynamic of commanding officer and trusted advisor.

The close and enduring friendship of Star Trek legends William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy lasted for fifty years but sadly ended in an unhealable rift.

5 Dal R'El and Ma'jel

Star trek: prodigy.

Ma'jel and Dal are more similar to the Kelvin Timeline's Kirk and Spock, being Starfleet Academy rivals who build a mutual respect for each other

Star Trek 's latest Vulcan hero , Ma'jel (Michaela Dietz) debuted in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, and almost immediately formed a Kirk and Spock-style partnership with the show's lead character, Dal R'El (Brett Gray). Dal was once compared to Captain Kirk by none other than Spock himself , albeit a holodeck recreation of the Vulcan, in Prodigy season 1, episode 6, "Kobayashi". Prodigy season 2 revealed that Dal has lost none of his swagger, making him the perfect foil for Nova Squadron member and budding Starfleet Academy cadet, Ma'jel.

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Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.

Ma'jel and Dal are more similar to the Kelvin Timeline's Kirk and Spock, being Starfleet Academy rivals who build a mutual respect for each other. Ma'jel's logic and by-the-book approach to Starfleet regulations initially puts her at odds with Dal in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2. However, once they're catapulted into the alternate future, she begins to see the merit of Dal's brasher approach to being a Starfleet hero. Like Kirk and Spock before them, Ma'jel and Dal learn from each other throughout Prodigy season 2, and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come.

4 Lt. Brad Boimler & Lt. T’Lyn

Star trek: lower decks.

T'Lyn's ability to break through Boimler's anxiety with Vulcan logic and some choice words proves what Kirk always knew; that Vulcans make the best, most honest friends.

Where Spock would act as a logical counterpoint to Kirk's rasher tendencies, Lt. T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) used her Vulcan logic to temper the anxiety of Lt. Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid). In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 3, "In the Cradle of Vexilon", T'Lyn tried to get Boimler to see the folly of his attempts not to put his away team in mortal danger. Ultimately, he didn't listen to T'Lyn's sage advice about the responsibility of command and his illogical fixation with doing all the work himself, but Kirk didn't always listen to Spock either.

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet's least important ships, the USS Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi must keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies. The ship's bridge crew includes Captain Carol Freeman, Commander Jack Ransom, Lieutenant Shaxs and Doctor T'Ana. This is the second animated spin-off in the franchise after 1973-74's "Star Trek: The Animated Series," but has a decidedly more adult tone and humor.

Later in Star Trek: Lower Decks ' season 4 finale , Boimler was placed in command of the USS Cerritos during the daring mission to rescue Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and defeat Nick Locarno (Robert Duncan McNeill). Sat on Boimler's right was Lt. T'Lyn, effectively acting as Spock to his Kirk once again . T'Lyn's ability to break through Boimler's anxiety with Vulcan logic and some choice words proves what Kirk always knew; that Vulcans make the best, most honest friends.

Star Trek: Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan explains how T'Lyn is inspired by T'Pol but is a different kind of Vulcan on The 7th Rule.

3 Captain Michael Burnham & Captain Saru

Star trek: discovery.

Saru was the Spock to Burnham's Kirk, a rational alien observer who knew when to rein in his commanding officer's sometimes reckless behavior.

While Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) was raised as a member of Spock's family , she had more in common with Captain Kirk. Across four seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , Burnham was a risk-taker, who was a firm believer that there was no such thing as a no-win scenario. Saru (Doug Jones) was the Spock to Burnham's Kirk, a rational alien observer who knew when to rein in his commanding officer's sometimes reckless behavior. In a direct parallel with Kirk and Spock's working relationship in the Star Trek movies, Burnham and Saru both served aboard the USS Discovery as captains in seasons 4 and 5 .

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

After his final mission with Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 2, "Under the Twin Moons", Saru followed Spock's path by becoming a Federation Ambassador. Meanwhile, Burnham, like Kirk, looked into the face of creation itself, and found it lacking. Burnham and Saru were more tactile and emotionally honest than Kirk and Spock , and their close friendship and tight working relationship made them a formidable team in Star Trek 's 32nd century. Burnham and Saru's legacy will inspire the next generation of Starfleet officers in the 32nd century, just like Kirk and Spock inspired Starfleet Academy's 24th century intake.

As they traveled to the 32nd century at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, years before Kirk and Spock met, Burnham and Saru never met the best friend of Michael's brother.

2 Captain Kathryn Janeway and Lt. Tuvok

Star trek: voyager.

...the biggest similarity between Kirk and Spock, and Janeway and Tuvok is how they would gladly defy orders to save the life of the other.

Unlike other Spock replacements, Tuvok (Tim Russ) wasn't second-in-command to Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Voyager . However, he was the highest-ranking Starfleet officer aboard the USS Voyager, due to the ship's unique command structure. This meant that Janeway often relied on Tuvok's wisdom and advice when facing the new threats posed by their journey through the Delta Quadrant. Janeway trusted Tuvok more than Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), a relationship that the two had cultivated over years prior to her taking command of the USS Voyager.

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has revealed that Kirk and Spock had a similar early friendship, inspired by a shared love of three-dimensional chess . This retroactively makes Janeway and Tuvok more like the legendary Star Trek duo, though Tuvok's a kal-toh man. However, the biggest similarity between Kirk and Spock, and Janeway and Tuvok is how they would gladly defy orders to save the life of the other. The Star Trek: Voyager finale saw an older Admiral Janeway break the Temporal Prime Directive to save Tuvok , drawing comparisons with Kirk's own unauthorised mission in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock .

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock resurrected Spock, but what did it do for William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the cast's career prospects?

1 Captain Jonathan Archer & Sub-commander T’Pol

Star trek: enterprise.

Enterprise flipped the Kirk and Spock dynamic by emphasizing the sexual tension between Captain Archer and Sub-commander T'Pol .

Star Trek: Enterprise 's Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and Sub-commander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) were the franchise's most overt Kirk and Spock replacements. Given that Enterprise was a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series , Archer and T'Pol were forerunners to Kirk and Spock in terms of Starfleet history. Archer was the most macho Star Trek captain since Kirk , and Scott Bakula's swagger was perfectly at odds with Jolene Blalock's chilly detachment.

Star Trek: Enterprise acts as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, detailing the voyages of the original crew of the Starship Enterprise in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk commanded the ship. Enterprise was the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise overall, and the final series before a twelve-year hiatus until the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. The series stars Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, with an ensemble cast that includes John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, and Connor Trinneer.

Enterprise flipped the Kirk and Spock dynamic by emphasizing the sexual tension between Captain Archer and Sub-commander T'Pol. Instead of acting on their mutual attraction, the two characters remained friends and became trusted colleagues, helping to lay the foundations for Star Trek 's Federation. In doing so, Archer and T'Pol became just as important to the history of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets as their successors/predecessors, Captains Kirk and Spock.