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Everything You'll Want to Know About the Actress Who Plays Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond , the latest installment in the classic franchise, features its all-stars Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto back in action as Captain Kirk and Spock in another adventure that's the level of fun you'd expect from the series. The usual gang is back together in the third movie, including Simon Pegg, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, and the late Anton Yelchin, this time facing off with Krall, an intergalactic villain played by Idris Elba. As much as a delight as it is to see Elba on screen, it's another newcomer to the Star Trek universe who really steals the movie.

Sofia Boutella plays Jaylah, a badass alien stranded on Krall's planet. Not only does she have the coolest look in the movie, but she's also the film's most dynamic character, who shows extremes of emotional range and tons of charm with what seems like it was supposed to be a sub-supporting role. But beyond her performance, no doubt you'll be asking more about the actress who plays Jaylah so deftly.

Above is what Boutella looks like in her Star Trek Beyond prosthetics, and this is what she looks like as a normal human on a red carpet:

Who Is She?

Originally from Algeria, Boutella is a former professional dancer who danced backup on tours for Madonna and Rihanna — she even danced at the Super Bowl . She switched gears at age 29 to pursue acting and landed her first major role as Gazelle in Kingsman: The Secret Service . It's one of the most memorable roles, as Gazelle has razor blades for legs and can do this:

Where You'll See Her Next

Boutella appears to have totally switched gears to acting, and she has a lot lined up. After her huge but mildly unrecognizable part in Star Trek Beyond , Boutella will costar next with Tom Cruise in the Mummy reboot after the indie Jet Trash , out later this year.

• Sofia Boutella
• Star Trek Beyond

This Is What The Actress Who Plays Jaylah In Star Trek Looks Like In Real Life

" Star Trek Beyond " wasn't quite the success that everyone involved in it likely hoped it would be. While the film received mostly positive reviews (it holds an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes ), it failed to be a box office hit. "Beyond" only managed to gross a little over $343 million at the worldwide box office — falling short of the box office totals of the two previous "Star Trek" films . As a result, Paramount Pictures has yet to make a sequel to "Star Trek Beyond," though, a number of new "Star Trek" TV shows have premiered in the five years since its release.

However, despite the film's disappointing financial returns, there are actually a number of things that "Star Trek Beyond" does right. That includes the introduction and creation of some memorable new characters, like Idris Elba's villainous Krall and Sofia Boutella's likable alien scavenger, Jaylah . An escaped survivor of the camp run by Krall, "Beyond" shows Jaylah become a quick and helpful new ally for the Enterprise crew.

Boutella made an instant impression with her performance as the character, despite being covered in heavy makeup and facial prosthetics throughout the entirety of the film. Indeed, the actress is totally unrecognizable in the role, so much so that viewers may be surprised to learn not only what Boutella looks like in real life, but also that "Star Trek Beyond" is far from the only notable project that Boutella has starred in.

Jaylah is played by dancer-turned-actress Sofia Boutella

Sofia Boutella has been steadily carving out an impressive film and television career for herself over the past several years. Boutella got her start as a professional dancer, and many of her earliest credits are for music videos from notable musical artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson. Her first major film role came in 2012 when she appeared as Eva in " StreetDance 2 ," but she achieved breakthrough success with her performance as the deadly Gazelle in 2014's "Kingsman: The Secret Service." Two years later, she appeared as Jaylah in "Star Trek Beyond" and followed up that sci-fi blockbuster with her memorable turn as Delphine — the seductive-but-well-intentioned love interest of Charlize Theron's Lorraine — in 2017's "Atomic Blonde."

That same year, Boutella starred alongside Tom Cruise in a live-action reboot of " The Mummy ," where she played the film's titular character. Meanwhile, in 2018 she appeared as Clarisse McClellan in the Michael B. Jordan-led HBO film adaptation of Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451," and earned major acclaim for her performance as Selva in the trippy, dance-driven indie film, " Climax ."

On the smaller screen, Boutella has also appeared as Yasmine in two episodes of the Amazon anthology series, "Modern Love," and is currently set to star alongside Alfie Allen and Jack O'Connell in the upcoming historical miniseries, " SAS: Rogue Heroes ." In other words, not only has Boutella already amassed some truly impressive credits for herself, but she's also shown no signs of slowing down any time soon, either.

Sofia Boutella

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Sofia Boutella ( born 3 April 1982 ; age 42) is an Algerian actress and dancer who played Jaylah in Star Trek Beyond .

Her breakthrough acting role was as Valentine's henchwoman Gazelle in the 2014 action adventure Kingsman: The Secret Service .

Personal [ ]

Boutella was born in the Bab El Oued district of Algiers, Algeria. She is the daughter of jazz musician Safy Boutella and an architect mother. At the age of 5, she started training in classical dance. In 1992, her family moved to France and Boutella started training rhythmic gymnastics and even joined the French national team. Boutella later attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Dancing [ ]

As a member of the dance group Vagabond Crew, Boutella won the Dance Battle of the Year in 2006. She also performed in the show group Chienne de Vie and Aphrodites during her time in France.

As a dancer, Boutella appeared in several music videos including Cesária Évora 's "Nutridinha" in 2001, Jamiroquai 's "Little L" in 2001, Bodyrockers ' "I Like The Way (You Move)" in 2005, and Axwell 's "Feel The Vibe ('Til The Morning Comes)" in 2005.

In 2005 she was cast as principal dancer for singer Madonna , and appeared in her music videos "Hung Up" (2005), "Sorry" (2006), and "Celebration" (2009). She also toured with Madonna on her world tours "Confessions Tour" in 2006 and "Sticky & Sweet Tour" between 2008 and 2009. Other appearances with Madonna include the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005, the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in 2006, the 2007 Live Earth concert in London, and the 2012 Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show.

Boutella and Lin on set

Other music videos she appeared in include Rihanna 's "SOS (Nike Version)" (2006), Chris Brown 's "Wall to Wall" (2007), Matt Pokora 's "Dangerous" (2008), Usher 's "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" (2009), Ne-Yo 's "Beautiful Monster" (2010) and "Champagne Life" (2010), Michael Jackson 's "Hollywood Tonight" (2011), and Take That 's "Get Ready For It" (2015).

Boutella was cast in 2005 as a spokeswoman for Nike, and appeared between 2005 and 2014 as the lead model in the Nike Women campaigns. She has served as a judge for several dance competitions, and was also interviewed and photographed for magazines such as Elle , Cosmopolitan , InStyle UK , Vogue Italy , and Marie Claire .

Early in her career, Boutella was featured in the French music film Dance Challenge (2002), an episode of Cordier and Son: Judge and Cop (2004), the television movie Permis d'aimer (2005), and lent her voice to the animated feature Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest (2006).

In 2012, she played the lead character Eva in the dance drama StreetDance 2 , followed by a supporting role in the science fiction thriller Monsters: Dark Continent (2014). Following her breakthrough role in Kingsman: The Secret Service , Boutella appeared in the thriller Jet Trash and on the drama Tiger Raid (both 2016). In 2017, she starred in the titular role of The Mummy , written, producer and directed by Alex Kurtzman , and also featuring Annabelle Wallis and Javier Botet . In the same year, she appeared in the spy thriller Atomic Blonde .

In 2018, she co-starred in the HBO television adaptation of Ray Bradbury 's novel Fahrenheit 451 (with Saad Siddiqui , Grace Lynn Kung , and Alex Spencer ), the sci-fi thriller Hotel Artemis , and the French arthouse horror Climax . In 2019, she appeared in two episodes of the Amazon series Modern Love . In 2021, Boutella co-starred in the American-Japanese fantasy thriller Prisoners of the Ghostland and the sci-fi film Settlers .

Most recently, in 2022, Boutella co-starred in the BBC war series SAS Rogue Heroes and guest-starred in an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities , alongside Peter Weller and Saad Siddiqui. In 2023 and 2024, she starred in the Netflix space opera films Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver , the first of which featured Dominic Burgess and Douglas Tait in the cast. Also in 2024, she had a supporting role in the spy comedy film Argylle .

External links [ ]

• Sofia Boutella at Wikipedia
• Sofia Boutella at the Internet Movie Database
• Sofia Boutella at X (formerly Twitter)
• Sofia Boutella  at Instagram
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Simon Pegg has revealed that he based a new Star Trek Beyond character on none other than Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Lawrence .

The actor and screenwriter told a press conference that female alien Jaylah was inspired by Lawrence’s breakthrough performance as Ree in 2010 drama Winter’s Bone .

He said that himself and co-writer Doug Jung began calling the character ‘Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone’ while struggling to come up with a name. “We were trying to create this very independent character but we didn’t have a name for it, so we just called it ‘Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone’,” said Pegg. “That’s a long name. It started getting tiring always saying, ‘Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone is fighting here’. So we started calling her J-Law and then she became Jaylah.”

Vox describes Jaylah as “more or less a loner, fending for herself and trying to scrape together a living without much help from any sort of parental or authority figure”. She enters the galactic fray after “bumping into” the USS Enterprise crew, apparently.

Jaylah will be played by Sofia Boutella, who joins returning actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana for Justin Lin’s new film. Star Trek Beyond arrives in UK cinemas on 22 July, with Idris Elba another new addition to the cast.

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As the sequel continues to languish in development hell, Sofia Boutella has addressed Star Trek 4 's potential Jaylah return. Boutella made her franchise debut in Star Trek Beyond as the alien scavenger Jaylah, stranded on the uncharted planet of Altamid and living in hiding from the villainous alien creature Krall, portrayed by Idris Elba. Though considered to have underperformed at the box office upon its release, Star Trek Beyond 's critical and modest financial success had many expecting a follow-up shortly thereafter, though amid creative differences, scheduling conflicts and contractual negotiations, Star Trek 4 continues to sit unproduced on Paramount's docket.

While appearing at the recent Steel City Con (via Fandom Spotlite ), Sofia Boutella was asked by one fan her thoughts on a potential Star Trek 4 Jaylah appearance. The Star Trek Beyond actor was enthusiastic about the prospect of returning, even offering her idea of where she'd like to see her character go next in the sci-fi action franchise. See what Boutella said and her con appearance in the video below:

I would love to see her evolve with all of the guys and with everybody. I would love to go back to her. I love her a lot. I enjoyed that experience so much. I would do it in a heartbeat. I don't know if they're making a fourth one. I hear things all the time, but I don't know what's happening.

Related: Star Trek 4's Full History Of Boldly Going Nowhere

Will The Kelvin Timeline's Star Trek 4 Ever Get Made?

With nearly seven years now gone since Star Trek Beyond 's release, many audiences continue to wonder whether the Kelvin Timeline-set Star Trek 4 will ever get made at Paramount . The film has seen a variety of starts and stops at the studio throughout the years, with future The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay attached at one point to pen the script, future Madame Web filmmaker S.J. Clarkson tapped to helm and both Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth intended to return. The studio also began developing multiple Star Trek projects with loose-to-no ties to J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline, including one from Fargo creator Noah Hawley and a potential R-rated script from Quentin Tarantino.

A proper Star Trek 4 seemed to finally be gaining steam in mid-201 as Tomb Raider co-writer Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer penning a script that WandaVision 's Matt Shakman was attached to direct. After bringing on Avatar: The Way of Water 's Josh Friedman and fellow WandaVision alum Cameron Squires to re-write the script, Shakman would ultimately depart the project this past August as he was brought back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe fold to helm the Fantastic Four movie reboot, which is slated for a February 2025 release date. Paramount subsequently pulled Star Trek 4 from its December 2023 release date as the studio took to looking for a new director for the project, a search which has not offered any promising updates in the months since.

While the three Kelvin films all proved to be critical and somewhat commercial hits, the question has become whether Star Trek 4 remains a priority at Paramount, or if the studio will ultimately move away from the project. Considering the ongoing success they're having with the various Star Trek shows on Paramount+, the studio may ultimately end up deciding that the franchise sticking to its TV roots is the best path forward rather than attempting another big screen adventure. However, with the Star Wars franchise similarly in a state of limbo regarding its theatrical future as multiple projects remain in development hell, Paramount may hope to capitalize on the lack of a major space-faring property in theaters while they still can.

Next: Jonathan Frakes Directing Star Trek 4? It's Only Logical Source: Fandom Spotlite

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Sparking STEM dreams: From 'Star Trek' to Neil deGrasse Tyson, minorities find inspiration

Ronald Gamble still remembers sitting up with his mother in the 1960s to watch the exploits of Captain James T. Kirk, Spock and Lt. Uhura on TV's groundbreaking "Star Trek."

“She was a big Trekkie,” Gamble, a theoretical astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said of his mom and a show with barrier-busting messages of unity and mission-driven science.

Uhura — who even once helmed the conn on the animated version of Star Trek — may have been one of the first major visualizations depicting Black people working and solving problems in the future, but she’s not alone.

In the decades since "Star Trek," a number of figures — both real and fictional — have inspired Black people to join science and engineering work fields.

One of the most prominent real-life figures, Black or white, in astrophysicsis is Neil deGrasse Tyson, the 65-year-old astrophysicist and author who appears across media talking on everything from black holes to the possibility of life on other planets.

Tyson, who one day may talk about the rings of Saturn and the next give a shout out to hip-hop, remains a staple on science shows, cable news and in movies.

One of his mentors, prominent author and astronomer Carl Sagan, once chided Hollywood directors for movies like the first "Star Wars," taking them to task over their early failure to depict alien life of all kinds, with no Blacks and other minorities in its fictional universes.

Nearly 30 years later, a plethora of books, movies and videogames depict Black explorers and Black warriors tackling galactic-sized issues in movies like " Black Panther," "Captain Marvel," the Star Wars sequels and blockbusters like the zombie-packed "I Am Legend" and the sci-fi mind-twister, "Tenet."

One of the defining trends depicting Black representation in the science and technology-themed fields of art, literature and movies is Afrofuturism, the cultural movement that combines the Black experience with science and pop culture.

Author Octavia Butler, whose work "Kindred," about a protagonist time traveling to the days of slavery, was adopted for a movie recently, is frequently cited as an influence. Gamble, an established oil painter, graphic designer and consultant, points out that part of making science and STEM-related fields accessible is making them relatable the way Star Trek and other pop culture figures do.

In recent years, groups like Black in Astro, Gamble’s Cosmic Pathfinders Program or podcasts like the Dr. Raven the Science Maven have raised the consciousness of those interested in learning the trappings of space and science.

"The plan is to remove the barriers," Gamble said.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter: @JDGallop.

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Published Oct 8, 2018

5 Signs You're Like Jaylah

Does your mood run parallel with Altamid's most-intriguing resident?

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Star Trek Beyond 's Jaylah, the staff-wielding and tech-savvy alien portrayed by Sofia Boutella, proved to be a popular addition to the franchise and inspired numerous cosplayers and fan artists to render their own interpretations of the character. Many viewers identified with Jaylah's disposition and conduct, sympathizing with her nature on a personal level. Let's look at five signs that indicate your temperament might also run parallel with Altamid's most-intriguing resident.

Are you quick to make friends?

After enduring a bumpy ride to Altamid's surface in a photon torpedo, Scotty found himself alone and unaware of his surroundings. Several locals attempted to take advantage of Scotty's confused state, until Jaylah intervened and convinced the unruly gang to disperse by displaying her proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. I don't know about you, but I only employ my best martial arts moves when I am hoping to impress a new pal.

Oblivious to their recently established friendship, Scotty mistook Jaylah's need to borrow parts from the downed torpedo as an attempt to steal Starfleet property. Jaylah employed her knife to persuade the engineer of their relationship's cordial nature and offered to help find the U.S.S. Enterprise 's surviving crew members in exchange for the Scotsman's technical support. Scotty agreed to the conditions, finally recognizing Jaylah's desire for an amicable alliance.

Do you enjoy "beats and shouting?"

Jaylah's status as a music aficionado revealed itself as she worked with Scotty to make repairs on the U.S.S. Franklin . Jaylah did not know it at the time, but her melodic tastes coincided with what Spock later referred to as the classical genre. Like many of us, the intense alien enjoyed passing the time by listening to her favorite songs and tinkering with the starship's varied technological deficiencies. One must appreciate the simple pleasures in life when marooned in solitary on a distant world.

Jaylah's song selections may not be your cup of tea, but the exhilaration and stress relief that accompany such artistic expressions transcends musical styles. The upbeat reactions from Sulu and Chekov upon hearing the unfamiliar sounds aboard the Franklin stand as a testament to music's universal appeal. Of course, the fact that the "beats and shouting" aided the crew's endeavor to destroy Krall's fleet probably boosted the enthusiasm in their responses.

Have you ever behaved rebelliously?

Rank and ceremony meant little to Jaylah, as her free spirit permitted her words and actions to flow in an uninhibited fashion. While touring the Franklin 's bridge, Jaylah casually plopped down in the command chair normally reserved for the officer in charge. A visibly chagrined Captain Kirk stood by her side, yet the defiant young woman either did not notice or felt no inclination to bow to authority. The pattern continued when Jaylah initially refused Kirk's request to go to Krall's base.

Jaylah's rebellious streak also manifested in more exhilarating ways. After finally agreeing to accompany the crew on their rescue attempt, Jaylah showed no qualms about charging into danger on a motorcycle with Kirk at high speed. The insubordinate alien later encouraged the captain to risk everyone's lives and make the Franklin fly in order to pursue Krall and his swarm. Heck, even Jaylah's decision to play Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" and the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" reflected her mutinous mindset.

Are you protective of your favorite possessions?

Despite the rapport she formed with Kirk and his senior staff, Jaylah still needed to highlight some boundaries between her friends and her belongings. Scotty emerged as the chief culprit, compelling Jaylah to warn the engineer not to set off the traps surrounding the Franklin or break her futuristic boombox during the process of upgrading its capabilities. In the latter situation, Scotty's inability to fine tune the device without shocking himself left Jaylah with no alternative but to complete the modifications herself.

As the Franklin barreled through Starbase Yorktown's shielded space doors, Jaylah understandably expressed displeasure over the damage done to her house. Kirk's choice to deploy the starship as a barricade to intercept Krall's three remaining vessels inflicted further scars upon a hull which Jaylah undoubtedly never had insured. Considering the ship's Federation origins and Jaylah's assistance in thwarting Krall's attack, hopefully Starfleet opted to foot the bill for any necessary repairs.

Do you demonstrate resourcefulness?

Perhaps Jaylah's most-defining trait was a knack for inventive solutions, which permeated her storyline in Star Trek Beyond . Left with nothing following her escape from Krall's compound, Jaylah went on to discover a crashed starship, set up various contraptions to cloak her whereabouts and form a defensive perimeter, learn an alien language, fix numerous systems on the abandoned craft, survive amid hostile neighbors, and find a nifty staff to ward off any pesky intruders. These feats were all accomplished before she even encountered Scotty and his Enterprise cohorts.

In the short time span between saving Scotty and protecting Yorktown, Jaylah's ingenuity and technical prowess proved invaluable to her new Starfleet friends. The combination of those skills and Jaylah's bravery made quite the impression on Captain Kirk, who took the drastic step of securing entry to Starfleet Academy for the alien woman. I would say that going from fending for one's own life and living in a scuttled vessel to escaping Altamid and being accepted into a prestigious institution in mere days is about as resourceful as you can get.

Jay Stobie is a freelance science fiction writer who contributes articles to the official Star Trek website and Star Trek Magazine . He can be found on Twitter at @CaptStobie and Instagram @JayStobie.

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