New Hollywood Podcast: Sonequa Martin-Green Talks ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, Importance Of Representation In Sci-Fi

Actress Sonequa Martin-Green is associated with two huge franchises with enormous followings: The Walking Dead and Star Trek: Discovery. Her character Sasha met her maker in The Walking Dead, but she still lives on in our hearts. As for her role as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery, she has broken ground as the first Black female lead in a Star Trek franchise that probably has one of the most inclusive casts in the history of the iconic sci-fi property.

Martin-Green stopped by the New Hollywood Podcast to talk about how at the beginning of her career, she landed strong roles instead of stereotypical roles that are usually given to actors of color. And with Star Trek: Discovery having two female leads — one Black, the other Asian (Michelle Yeoh) — as well as the first on-screen intergalactic same-sex couple (Wilson Cruz’s Dr. Hugh Culber and Anthony Rapp’s Paul Stamets), she unpacks the importance of representation and inclusion in the sci-fi genre and how it benefits the entertainment landscape. In addition to all of the talk about the change in diversity in film and television, we have an enlightening conversation that covers more topics and issues — including Red Lobster. Listen to the episode below.