Kerrice Brooks, star of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, reveals she purposefully avoided the franchise, embracing a punk-rock attitude before discovering her love for its inclusive legacy.
For stars of iconic franchises, childhood fandom is often a rite of passage—but not for Kerrice Brooks, who consciously avoided watching Star Trek despite its cultural omnipresence. In a February 2026 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, alongside co-stars Holly Hunter, George Hawkins, and Sandro Rosta, Brooks admitted to her “punk-rock stance” against family-favorite shows. “If my family liked it, then I wasn’t gonna like it. So it took me a long time to watch Star Trek. Like, genuinely, it took me a long time,” she confessed.
Her resistance wasn’t just generational rebellion. Brooks also grappled with representation, initially unsure if she’d “see [herself] represented on the screen.” However, her perspective shifted dramatically upon discovering Sonequa Martin-Green’s transformative role as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery—symbolized by Martin-Green’s now-iconic “Toni Braxton wig.” This moment became the turning point for Brooks, marking the start of her embrace of the franchise.
The Unlikely Journey to Starfleet Academy
Brooks’ Şubat appearances, from her Prom breakthrough to her latest holographic role as SAM (Series Acclimation Mil), reflect a career defined by boundless curiosity. SAM, introduced in the January 2026 premiere, is unlike any previous Star Trek character—a hologram designed to surveil humanity on behalf of her alien creators. With quips like, “He has allergies,” Brooks infuses the character with both mystery and levity, setting SAM apart from the franchise’s more austere A.I. archetypes.
Iconic Mentors, Rebel Inspirations
During interviews, Brooks cited a tapestry of influences that shaped her portrayal of SAM. She drew from Robert Picardo’s Emergency Medical Hologram in Voyager, Jeri Ryan’s storyline as Seven of Nine, Cirroc Lofton’s young Jake Sisko in Deep Space Nine, and even the ancient philosopher Surak. SAM’s essence is grounded in unpredictability—neither wholly alien nor totally human—a narrative thread that mirrors Brooks’ own journey from Star Trek outsider to stage-savvy insurgent.
Why It Matters: The New Wave of Trek
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy represents a pivotal chapter in the franchise’s continuing legacy of renewal. By casting actors like Brooks, who bring fresh energy and candid honesty about prior detachment, the series literally and metaphorically reimagines “first contact” through the lens of outsider zeitgeist. Whether it’s a hologram singing, a recruit struggling with allergies, or a star who once shunned the very saga she now embodies, Starfleet Academy prolongs Star Trek‘s timeless mission: to seek out new stories and civilizations — even within its own cast.
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