Nichelle Nichols – Michmutters
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Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek, dies aged 89

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for black women in Hollywood when she played lieutenant Nyota Uhura in the original Star Trek TV show, has died at 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died on Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away,” Mr Johnson wrote on his mother’s official Facebook page.

“Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration.

“Her’s was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”

Her role in the 1966—1969 series as Lieutenant Uhura earned Nichols a lifelong position of honor with the series’ fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies.

It also earned her accolades for breaking stereotypes that had limited black women to acting roles as servants and included an interracial on-screen kiss with co-star William Shatner that was unheard of at the time.

Actor Nichelle Nichols
Nichols played the Communications Officer on the USS Enterprise in the original series Star Trek.(Supplied: NASA/file)

Fellow cast member George Takei described Nichols as “trailblazing and incomparable”

“For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” he posted to Twitter.

Takei played Sulu in the original Star Trek alongside Nichols.

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But her impact was felt beyond her immediate co-stars, and many others in the Star Trek world also tweeted their condolences.

Celia Rose Gooding, who currently plays Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, wrote on Twitter that Nichols “made room for so many of us. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival. Forget shaking the table, she built it.”

Like other original cast members, Nichols also appeared in six big-screen spin-offs starting in 1979 with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and frequented Star Trek fan conventions.

She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps.

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More recently, she had a recurring role on television’s Heroes, playing the great-aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.

Star Trek premiered on NBC on September 8, 1966.

Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future — the 23rd century — human diversity would be fully accepted.

“I think many people took it into their hearts… that what was being said on TV at that time was a reason to celebrate,” Nichols said in 1992 when a Star Trek exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian Institution.

AP

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Entertainment

Nichelle Nichols dead at 89: Star Trek icon who played Lieutenant Uhura passes away

Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols has passed away at age 89.

The groundbreaking actress played Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series from 1966 to 1969, reports The Sun.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Kyle Johnson, Nichelle’s son, said: “Friends, Fans, Colleagues, World.

“I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light from her however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from and draw inspiration. ”

Her acting career lasted for over 40 years. She made great strides in the representation of women of color in not only television but in outer space.

Nichols was awarded the NASA Exceptional Public Achievement Medal in 2021 for inspiring and recruiting diverse communities to join its space programs.

In an interview with the Archive of American Television, Nichols recalled a life-changing moment with a fan.

The actress was about to quit star trek after the first season because she was offered a role in a play and dreamt of being on Broadway.

She even handed in her letter of resignation to the creator of star trek Gene Roddenberry – which he rejected, telling her to think about it for a few more days.

Then a fan, Dr Martin King Jr, said to her: “You cannot, you cannot. Don’t you understand what [Roddenberry] have you achieved?

“For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day – as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing and dance and who can go into space.

“Who can be lawyers, who can be teachers, who can be professors, who we are in this day and yet you don’t see it on television until now,” he said.

“Gene Roddenberry has opened a door for the world to see us.

“If you leave, that door can be closed because you see your role is not a black role and it’s not a female role. He can fill it with anything including an alien.”

Dr King persuaded her to stay on the show and continue to be a role model.

Her son’s statement continued: “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.

“I, and the rest of our family, would appreciate your patience and forbearance as we grieve her loss until we can recover sufficiently to speak further.

“Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected.”

He concluded by saying: “Live Long and Prosper.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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