Jess Bush

Jess Bush is an Australian actor, visual artist, model, and former reality television personality. Born on March 26, 1992, she grew up in Keperra, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. She gained international recognition for her performance as Nurse Christine Chapel in the television series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, following years of working in Australian media and pursuing visual fine arts.

Bush's initial work in front of the camera began on reality television when she participated as a contestant on the seventh season of Australia's Next Top Model. She pursued the opportunity for its variety, travel possibilities, and competitive nature. Transitioning into narrative television in Australia, she subsequently earned roles on the drama series Home and Away as well as Playing for Keeps.

After experiencing burnout from the competitive auditioning process, Bush shifted her professional focus toward selecting only roles that deeply inspired her. This decision led to her landing a main role on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which debuted in 2022 as a spin-off franchise. The character of Christine Chapel was originally portrayed by Majel Barrett in the original Star Trek. For her performance, Bush adopts an accent other than her natural Australian voice to aid her physical and mental characterization. Her depiction of Chapel as a bisexual character aligns with Bush's open identification as queer.

In addition to acting, Bush has maintained a continuous career in fine art and jewellery design. She began creating visual art during her childhood and started selling her work commercially at nineteen years old. By mid-2017, she operated out of a studio in Sydney's Hibernian House, had traveled to New York City to complete two commissioned murals, and was named a finalist for the 44th Muswellbrook Art Prize in New South Wales. Some of her custom jewellery pieces have also appeared on screen during her acting roles.

In 2019, Bush launched an ongoing visual art project titled Bee Totem. The work involves gathering dead honey bees from beekeepers, encapsulating them inside clear crystal resin spheres, and attaching them to delicate jewellery chains. Displayed in collaboration with sound designers and projection artists, the suspended spheres form three-dimensional installations that serve as a memorial to the quiet death and collective importance of bees. Supported by several rounds of funding from the Australian Government by 2022, Bush views this project as her most significant artistic endeavor to date.

Bush's participation in science fiction television also developed her interest in real-world space exploration. By 2023, her work on the show led to professional collaborations with entities in the space sector, including work alongside NASA and Redwire at the Kennedy Space Center.