EXCLUSIVE: Sonequa Martin-Green Hopes Her 'Star Trek: Discovery' Role 'Knocks Down Some Walls'

Sonequa Martin-Green is spearheading a lot of "firsts" with her role on Star Trek: Discovery. 

The upcoming CBS All Access series features a black female lead, an Asian female captain, a female first officer, and the first openly gay character in a Star Trek TV series -- and ET's Leanne Aguilera got the scoop from Martin-Green on what it all means. 

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"I'm grateful. I'm humbled, a little overwhelmed, excited... all those things. Blessed," the 32-year-old actress revealed on Wednesday. "We're doing our best to uphold the legacy that is Stark Trek." 

"It means everything [to be bringing diversity to TV]," she continued. "It really does, because I think people need to see themselves." 

"I think that vision is the first step to see it, so to show people what they really look like, to be an actual mirror to what our society looks like, is a really big deal," she continued. "To see everyone coming together, people of different ethnicity and genders and backgrounds and even different species on our show... [it's] not something that needs to be discussed. [It's] something that's organic, it's just the way it is... to know that we have achieved that, and the future, just to see an example of that achievement, I don't think it can be measured." 

Martin-Green isn't taking her role lightly, and hopes that her character helps women "see their potential." 

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"We know our power, but to see it in action is very empowering," she explained. "I hope that it expands people's thinking -- especially young girls -- [and] stretches out the edges of their parameters, and knocks down some of those walls." 

The actress' character, Michael Burnham, was raised as a Vulcan by Spock's father, Sarek -- a familial connection that wasn't mentioned in the original Star Trek series. 

"That canon is very important to us. It's everything. It's our foundation and we definitely honor it," Martin-Green revealed, keeping her lips sealed on how the show will explain the relationship. "I will say that it will make sense." 

Star Trek: Discovery premieres Sept. 24 on CBS All Access. 

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