Trans actor Jesse James Keitel to guest star on an episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Jesse James Keitel at the New York City premiere of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS

As the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds continues to zip along from one space adventure to another, Big Sky and Queer as Folk trans actor Jesse James Keitel is set to appear as a guest star in the seventh episode of the series, due to begin streaming June 16th. An exclusive report from Variety earlier this week shed some light on Keitel’s role in the episode.

According to Variety, “Keitel will play Dr. Aspen, who once worked as a Starfleet counselor, but whose experiences on the Federation border prompted them to shift careers and work as a humanitarian aid worker.” The report also noted that Keitel’s character will ultimately “develop a surprising connection” with Science Officer Spock. While there are no more plot details to share, we do know that trans filmmaker Sydney Freeland, director of the FX comedy series Reservation Dogs, stepped in with the crew of Strange New Worlds to direct the episode.

Joining Star Trek’s first gay couple (Lt. Stamets and Dr. Culber), and the first openly trans and nonbinary actors (and characters) in the franchise in Gray and Adira, and others, Keitel’s involvement further solidifies the Star Trek commitment to celebrate “infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” 

Outside of Star Trek, Keitel held roles in Amazon’s Forever Alone and Ben Stiller’s Alex Strangelove. Perhaps her biggest role to date has been as the transfeminine Jerrie Kennedy in the ABC series Big Sky, recently renewed for a third season. She will also be appearing as Ruthie in the upcoming Peacock reboot of Queer as Folk. For years, Keitel has been a champion of LGBTQ+ representation in the entertainment industry, and was honored with the Equality Award by the Human Rights Campaign in the spring of 2022.

Be sure to catch Jesse James Keitel as Dr. Aspen on next week’s episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, available to stream on Paramount+ beginning June 16th.