Mary Chieffo returns as Klingon High Chancellor L'Rell in Star Trek Online: House United and Screen Rant is proud to exclusively premiere "Steel and Flames", the song Mary sings in Klingon. Chieffo originated L'Rell in Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2, but Star Trek Online brought the noble warrior back as part of its Klingon-centric trilogy, which concludes with House United.
Developed by Perfect World Entertainment, Star Trek Online: House United was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 3, 2021. The free-to-play MMORPG based in the Star Trek Universe allows gamers to experience the finale of the epic Klingon Civil War. House United features two brand-new episodes, "Warriors of the Empire" and "A Day Long Remembered", where captains will fight with Chancellor L'Rell at their side as they amass an army to win back Qo'noS, the Klingon homeworld.
Screen Rant had the pleasure of speaking with Mary Chieffo to discuss her return as L'Rell in Star Trek Online: House United and the state of the Klingons in the current Star Trek Universe. We also delved into how she recorded the epic song "Steel and Flames" in Klingon. You can watch the lyric video to "Steel and Flames" below:
Screen Rant: You sing in Star Trek: Online House United. In Klingon. Can you tell us what went through your mind when you were asked to sing in Klingon as L’Rell?
Mary Chieffo: Well, it was such a thrilling email to get. I've always loved singing. In kindergarten, I was chased around the playground because I was singing so much they were trying to get me to stop. But I didn't and I became a big musical theatre geek and I'm still very much that. I had built a reputation for myself [for singing in Klingon]. I'd done some stuff with Klingon Pop Warrior. I did karaoke on the [Star Trek] cruise. Jason Isaacs and I did "Dammit Janet" for the final night of the cruise, which was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I'm up there on stage on a cruise in the middle of the ocean singing with Jason Isaacs. It was incredible.
So I think I'd built enough of a reputation as someone who can sing and do stuff in the Trek realm. They had this song that Jason Charles Miller had created and they wanted to know if I could do a Klingon version of it. I said "Yes, I can! Or I think I can!" But what I've learned over time is [to] say yes and make it work and make it happen. It really came together wonderfully, getting the translations and making sure everything was pronounced properly. And then singing it! That part too.
How long did the song take to learn and can you give us a little English translation? And what's the title of the song?
Mary Chieffo: The title is "Steel and Flames." That's the main chorus. It's a pretty Klingon thing. Jason Charles Miller wrote the song and lyrics. Luckily, we were able to get the translation from the Klingon Language Institute and Robyn Stewart, who I worked with in the past on Discovery, who is wonderful. The whole Klingon Language Institute is such a wonderful group of people who are really passionate about the language. It was very lucky to come up with lyrics that fit rhythmically as well as translation-wise. There were a few syllables and things we had to work on, but luckily we were able to figure it out, which is one of the neat things [about Klingon] being a living language.
In learning the song, my technique was listening to the English version and then going in with the Klingon version and singing the Klingon stuff on top of it. What I found interesting in talking to Jason, who wrote the lyrics, is that he was looking at Klingons overall but also specifically L'Rell's journey in the game. And what I found that the game also reflected her journey in Discovery that was about being in this intense world and fighting for what's right.
"I bear the scars that you've given to me / I hold the sword and I long to breathe free." L'Rell literally got this scar and I always appreciated the metaphor that in her journey she went through so much and chose to keep the scar, which is a very Klingon thing to do. It heals up over time, but she kept it as a reminder of the sacrifice that Voq [Shazad Latif] had made and she herself had made. [There's a lyric] about a "traitorous leader", which is very much L'Rell's journey in the game. Toppling the patriarchy and the certain male Klingons who are taking up space they don't need to be taking. So yes, it's very epic. I would definitely look to find the Klingon translation [of the song] because they're very, very fun and very epic.
What I liked about the song and kind of surprised me is that it has a very hard rock 80s vibe. We're used to Worf [Michael Dorn] singing warrior songs like an opera. Listening to this song, it's like L’Rell is the Joan Jett of the Klingon rock scene. Is that what you were going for?
Mary Chieffo: Yes! Definitely. Like I said, I love singing all genres. There's another side of me and I really live the legit musical theatre kind of sound. I tend to ask, "What is needed of this song? Okay, this is the kind of rock star vibe that we need." And the Klingon vocalization caters to it as well. I just wanted it to be as badass as possible and as epic as possible and that was the way to sing it.
The song made me think about Klingon pop culture. We know they have traditional warrior songs and operas, and they read a lot of Shakespeare in the original Klingon, but they must also have different genres and pop versions of the stuff they like.
Mary Chieffo: It's funny, too, because I know they made that joke in Star Trek Beyond [about the Beastie Boys]: "Is that classical music?" In many ways, this is as if L'Rell busted out something Klingon from the past and it's like, "Who knew L'Rell liked to jam to 20th-century things?" Which is a funny idea.
But certainly, I feel from our modern sensibility, this style [of rock] feels very Klingon. The lyrics are so much about traitors and honor and blood screaming [laughs]. Seeking vengeance and bearing the scars. It's all very much true for L'Rell. It all felt very much that I was channeling the Klingon energy that I've been lucky enough to channel for the past almost five years.
Obviously, you’re sworn to secrecy about any future appearance by L’Rell. But if you had your pick of the current Star Trek shows, where would you want to see L’Rell appear next and what would she be doing? And this is Star Trek so anything goes.
Mary Chieffo: Oh that's so fun. I like that question. I love the idea of what we get to see in the plot of Star Trek Online, a Klingon-centric [story]. Of course, I want to see Klingon-centric (laughs)! But I mean leaning towards the Game of Thrones sort of epic. We see flavors of her ascending into her power as the Chancellor [on Discovery] and then we meet her later when she's been Chancellor. I would be interested in seeing what that day-to-day diplomacy is like when she's interacting with non-humans.
Does she have allies? Does she go to House Mo'Kai? The whole House Mo'Kai thing has always been fascinating to me. That House was very much a part of how L'Rell learned to assert her power, which is from the sidelines and from the shadows. I could always imagine that there might be a bit of a reconciliation there, perhaps. Maybe some of the women disagree with the way she's ascended into power because she's trying to work with the patriarchy - that would be interesting.
When it comes to actual shows that exist, I think it would be very fun to see her emerge anywhere where the timeline made sense. What I love about The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine is there's so much crossover there with the Klingon episodes. "Here's what's going on currently. This is what Gowron is up to." I love the idea of having Klingon flavors throughout [Star Trek]. I know as a viewer I love it when we get to check-in and play around with [the Klingons]. But it would be fun to see L'Rell in any capacity. I just love her. And the plot she was given within Star Trek Online is so thrilling to me because we get to go deeper into this epic, deep storytelling. We get that overall in Trek, it's definitely epic storytelling, but the Klingons definitely cater to the type of narrative I love to sink my teeth into as an actor.
The last time we spoke, Star Trek: Discovery season 3 was just ending and there hasn’t been any Star Trek on TV until Lower Decks is back. So except for General K’orin [Jess Harnell], who was in the second episode of Lower Decks last year, you as L’Rell are still the most prominent Klingon in current Star Trek. And now with Star Trek Online: House United. You're holding it down.
Mary Chieffo: Thank you! Keeping the Empire alive, for sure. The Klingon flame, indeed.
I definitely miss the Klingons. I'd love to see more exploration in the 23rd century, if possible, in Strange New Worlds or Michelle Yeoh's [Section 31] show. L'Rell and Empress Georgiou are old friends.
Mary Chieffo: Yeah, [Michelle Yeoh] definitely gave me some sound advice that worked for her. It is surreal to me every once in a while, I'll be putting my reel together or something, and I'm like, "Oh, there's my scene with Michelle Yeoh!" I'm still so moved by the fact that I got to be covered in prosthetics and act with Michelle Yeoh, and have her character give me advice on how to be a ruler and a badass. It's just such an amazing gift. One of many, many gifts that the show gave me.
And also, if L'Rell met the current version of Georgiou - she's a different person. L'Rell might actually be a little surprised at how she's turned out.
Mary Chieffo: Totally. She's definitely not the woman who beat her up in the jail cell. They've both grown a lot. I think there could be the start of a really interesting friendship there.
One last question about Star Trek Online: House United. In your opinion, what is the best part of this Klingon saga now that the trilogy is complete?
Mary Chieffo: Being able to inhabit L'Rell again has been such a gift. But being able to inhabit her again in a space outside of Discovery's plot. That it is more about this Klingon world, that you do get to see her come to the aid of the Empire in a way that we didn't get to see on Discovery. Seeing the leader she became, that she still honors what happened with Voq, and she honors the sacrifices they made.
On a feminist level, I love these lady Klingons teaming together to take down this treacherous, slimy Klingon guy. I'm sorry, but I kinda love it! And the fact that there's once again a final moment where she claims the power that she deserves and that she maybe sometimes doesn't allow herself to have. I've always appreciated that she is extremely powerful and smart and she will do what is needed, but it comes from a place of true humility. She is very much a "greatness thrust upon her" person, which we saw with Martok [J. G. Hertzler] as well on Deep Space Nine. I just really am drawn to the types of characters who do what's right because they have to. And I felt that we really got to see that in Star Trek Online.
Star Trek Online: House United is available now on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
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August 04, 2021 at 12:32AM
