Mason Gooding has built a varied acting career across television and film, moving from guest appearances to more prominent roles in projects such as Booksmart, Love, Victor, Scream, Scream VI, and Heart Eyes. One of his earlier television credits came in Star Trek: Picard, where he appeared as Gabriel Hwang in the first-season episode “Stardust City Rag.”
Although the role was brief, Gabriel Hwang is connected to one of the show’s important supporting characters, Raffi Musiker. His appearance gives viewers more insight into Raffi’s personal life and the difficult relationship she has with her son.
For fans researching Mason Gooding Star Trek Picard, the role is an interesting part of his early television work. It came shortly before Love, Victor established him as a regular television performer.
Who Is Mason Gooding?
Mason Gooding is an American actor born on November 14, 1996, in Los Angeles, California. He began gaining wider attention through television and film projects in the late 2010s.
Among his early television credits were Parker Jones in Ballers and Billy Cayman in The Good Doctor. He also appeared in the films Booksmart and Let It Snow in 2019. Hulu’s official biography lists Star Trek: Picard among his television credits from this period.
Gooding’s career expanded significantly with Love, Victor, where he played Andrew Spencer. He later became widely recognized for playing Chad Meeks-Martin in the Scream franchise.
His career therefore includes a mixture of comedy, teen drama, horror, science fiction, and other genres. His Star Trek: Picard appearance came at an early stage when he was building his television résumé.
Mason Gooding in Star Trek: Picard
In Star Trek: Picard, Mason Gooding played Gabriel Hwang, the son of Raffi Musiker. His appearance takes place in the first season’s fifth episode, “Stardust City Rag,” which was released on February 20, 2020. TVMaze lists Gooding as a guest actor for that episode, while IMDb’s episode credits also identify him as Gabriel Hwang.
“Stardust City Rag” is an important episode because the main crew travels to Freecloud while attempting to locate Bruce Maddox. The episode also brings Seven of Nine into the main storyline and explores her connection to the events surrounding the former Borg character Icheb. StarTrek.com identifies it as the fifth episode of the first season.
Gooding’s role is not that of a member of Picard’s regular crew. Instead, Gabriel appears as part of Raffi’s personal storyline.
Who Is Gabriel Hwang?
Gabriel Hwang is Raffi Musiker’s son. Raffi, played by Michelle Hurd, is one of the central supporting characters in Star Trek: Picard.
Before the events of the series, Raffi’s intense focus on political and conspiratorial questions surrounding the attack on Mars affected her family life. Her relationship with Gabriel had become strained, and their meeting in “Stardust City Rag” makes that history visible to the audience.
The episode reveals that Gabriel has built a life away from his mother. He is married to Pel, a Romulan woman, and the couple is expecting a child. Gabriel’s personal circumstances make Raffi’s visit particularly emotional because she is trying to reconnect with a son who has reasons to remain distant from her.
The character information associated with the episode identifies Gabriel as the son of Raffi and Jae Hwang and the husband of Pel.
“Stardust City Rag”
“Stardust City Rag” is the fifth episode of Star Trek: Picard season one. The episode was written by Kirsten Beyer and directed by Jonathan Frakes. Its central story involves Picard and his crew traveling to Freecloud to find Bruce Maddox.
The episode has several storylines running at the same time.
Picard and his crew are focused on their mission involving Maddox. Seven of Nine becomes involved because she has her own history with the criminal world surrounding the episode. At the same time, Raffi deals with a more personal matter involving her son.
This combination of larger science-fiction events and personal relationships is typical of the way Star Trek: Picard develops its supporting characters.
For Mason Gooding Star Trek Picard viewers, Gabriel’s scene is especially useful because it gives the audience a glimpse of Raffi outside her professional relationship with Picard and the rest of the crew.
Gabriel and Raffi
Gabriel’s relationship with Raffi is one of the episode’s quieter storylines.
Raffi visits Gabriel because she wants to repair their relationship. However, Gabriel is not immediately willing to welcome her back into his life. His response reflects years of disappointment and separation.
The official Star Trek recap explains that Raffi goes to a clinic where she discovers that her son lives and that he firmly rejects her attempts at reconciliation. Later in the episode, Raffi returns to the main crew.
This storyline adds another dimension to Raffi’s character. Instead of presenting her only as a former Starfleet officer and an important member of Picard’s mission, the episode shows the consequences that her earlier choices had on her family.
Gooding therefore plays a character whose importance is largely connected to Raffi rather than to the central science-fiction mystery.
How Long Was His Role?
Mason Gooding’s appearance in Star Trek: Picard was a guest role rather than a regular or recurring part.
TVMaze lists Gabriel Hwang under Gooding’s guest credits and specifically identifies the appearance as season 1, episode 5, “Stardust City Rag.” The episode is dated February 20, 2020.
IMDb’s episode cast information also credits Gooding as Gabriel Hwang.
That makes the role relatively small compared with some of Gooding’s later television parts. For example, his role as Andrew Spencer in Love, Victor extended across multiple seasons and dozens of episodes.
The difference is useful when looking at Gooding’s career chronologically. Picard represents one of his early television guest appearances, while Love, Victor marked a much larger ongoing television role.
His Career Around Picard
The period surrounding Mason Gooding’s Star Trek: Picard appearance was an active stage in his career.
Before Picard, Gooding had appeared in Ballers as Parker Jones and The Good Doctor as Billy Cayman. He also appeared in Booksmart as Nick Howland and Let It Snow as Jeb.
In 2020, he also appeared in Everything’s Gonna Be Okay as Luke Jackson. That same year, he began playing Andrew Spencer in Love, Victor.
This means Picard was part of a period in which Gooding was taking on a range of different supporting and guest roles while establishing himself in television.
His work in these projects also showed that he was not limited to one particular type of character. His credits moved between comedy, drama, science fiction, and coming-of-age stories.
Mason Gooding’s Role in the Episode
Gabriel Hwang is different from many of the characters Gooding would later play.
In Booksmart, for example, he played Nick Howland in a high-school comedy. In Love, Victor, Andrew Spencer is part of a continuing teen drama. In Scream, Gooding plays Chad Meeks-Martin, a character connected to the franchise’s horror storyline.
Gabriel, by comparison, is primarily part of an established character’s family story.
His scenes with Raffi are more personal than action-oriented. The character does not become part of Picard’s crew or join the main mission. Instead, his presence helps explain the emotional distance between Raffi and her family.
That makes the role relatively straightforward but important to understanding Raffi’s background.
Mason Gooding’s Television Work
Looking at Mason Gooding’s television credits shows how his career developed around this period.
| Year | Series | Character | Type of Role |
| 2018 | Ballers | Parker Jones | Guest role |
| 2018 | The Good Doctor | Billy Cayman | Guest role |
| 2020 | Everything’s Gonna Be Okay | Luke Jackson | Recurring role |
| 2020 | Star Trek: Picard | Gabriel Hwang | Guest role |
| 2020–2022 | Love, Victor | Andrew Spencer | Main role |
| 2022 | How I Met Your Father | Ash | Guest role |
| 2025 | Haunted Hotel | Zeff | Voice/TV role |
TVMaze’s current credit listing confirms Gooding’s guest appearance as Gabriel Hwang in Picard and his longer run as Andrew in Love, Victor.
The table shows that Picard sits between several early guest and recurring television credits and the much larger role he received in Love, Victor.
From Picard to Love, Victor
One of the most notable developments in Gooding’s career came in 2020 with Love, Victor.
The Hulu series was set in the world established by the 2018 film Love, Simon. Gooding played Andrew Spencer alongside Michael Cimino, Rachel Hilson, Anthony Turpel, Bebe Wood, and other members of the young ensemble.
Unlike his Picard appearance, Andrew was a continuing character. Gooding remained with the series through its three-season run.
This gave audiences considerably more opportunity to see his acting range. It also helped establish him as a recognizable young television performer.
From Television to Film
Gooding’s film career developed alongside his television work.
His 2019 appearance in Booksmart gave him a role in Olivia Wilde’s coming-of-age comedy. Hulu’s biography notes that the film premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival and featured Gooding alongside Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever.
He later appeared in films including I Want You Back, Moonshot, Fall, and Scream.
The Scream franchise became particularly important to his film career. He played Chad Meeks-Martin in the 2022 Scream film and returned for Scream VI in 2023.
Compared with his short appearance as Gabriel Hwang, Chad gave Gooding a much larger and more continuing role.
His Scream Connection
Mason Gooding became especially familiar to movie audiences through the Scream franchise.
His character Chad Meeks-Martin is part of the younger group of characters introduced in the 2022 film. Gooding returned as Chad in Scream VI, continuing the character’s storyline.
This was a major change in scale from his role in Star Trek: Picard. Gabriel Hwang appears briefly in one episode, while Chad is central to a continuing movie franchise.
The contrast demonstrates the range of roles Gooding has taken during his career.
Why the Picard Role Is Interesting
For fans searching for Mason Gooding Star Trek Picard information, the role is worth noting mainly because it belongs to an early period of his career.
It was not a starring role, and Gabriel Hwang did not become a regular character on the series. However, the part connected Gooding to one of television’s longest-running science-fiction franchises and gave him the opportunity to appear alongside the cast of Star Trek: Picard.
More importantly, the role formed part of a busy period in which he was appearing in different television projects.
His credits around the same time included Ballers, The Good Doctor, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Love, Victor.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Actor | Mason Gooding |
| Series | Star Trek: Picard |
| Character | Gabriel Hwang |
| Season | Season 1 |
| Episode | “Stardust City Rag” |
| Episode Number | Episode 5 |
| Original Air Date | February 20, 2020 |
| Role Type | Guest appearance |
| Character Connection | Raffi Musiker’s son |
| Character’s Partner | Pel |
| Franchise | Star Trek |
| Year | 2020 |
The episode and casting details are documented by StarTrek.com, TVMaze, and IMDb.
Mason Gooding’s Career Today
The Star Trek: Picard credit is only one part of Gooding’s broader filmography.
Following Picard and Love, Victor, he continued working across film and television. His later credits include the Scream films, How I Met Your Father, and other projects.
His career has gradually moved between ensemble productions, television series, horror films, romantic comedies, and other genres. This variety makes his early guest appearances useful when looking back at how his career developed.
Rather than being known for only one type of role, Gooding has accumulated credits across several different areas of entertainment.
FAQs
Who did Mason Gooding play in Star Trek: Picard?
Mason Gooding played Gabriel Hwang, the son of Raffi Musiker, in the first season of Star Trek: Picard.
What episode of Picard features Mason Gooding?
He appears in “Stardust City Rag,” the fifth episode of season one, which was released on February 20, 2020.
Was Mason Gooding a regular cast member of Star Trek: Picard?
No. Gooding was a guest actor in the series, appearing as Gabriel Hwang.
Who is Gabriel Hwang in Picard?
Gabriel Hwang is Raffi Musiker’s son. He is married to Pel, and his strained relationship with Raffi is part of the personal storyline in “Stardust City Rag.”
What other TV shows is Mason Gooding known for?
He is particularly known for Love, Victor, where he played Andrew Spencer. His television credits also include Ballers, The Good Doctor, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and How I Met Your Father.
Conclusion
Mason Gooding’s appearance in Star Trek: Picard is a relatively brief but notable entry in his early television career. He played Gabriel Hwang in “Stardust City Rag,” giving viewers a closer look at the complicated family history of Raffi Musiker.
The role came during an active period for Gooding, when he was building credits in television while also appearing in films such as Booksmart and Let It Snow. Soon afterward, his career expanded through Love, Victor and eventually the Scream franchise.
For anyone exploring Mason Gooding Star Trek Picard, the key detail is simple: he portrayed Gabriel Hwang in season one’s fifth episode, “Stardust City Rag.” Although it was a guest appearance rather than a long-running role, it remains part of the career path that led Gooding to larger and more recognizable parts in television and film.
