Nichols starred as the communications chief Uhura in the original She claimed the role of Kim until the daytime staple went off the air in 2010 following a 54-year run on air. I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. Nichols faced health issuesin the past few years. His 11 March 1989 - 19 June 2016 (age 27)Character(s): Pavel Chekov (Star Trek 2009, Star Trek Into Darkness 2013 & Star Trek Beyond 2016). We've received your submission. Although she was apparently unharmed (Parsons suffered significant injuries), soon after this, Thrett turned her back on the entertainment business. (CBS Photo Archive). Buddwing and the Sandra Dee vehicle Doctor, Youve Got to Be Kidding! before she was cast on Star Trek.. She was much loved and will be missed. They dont like when you do that and hurts your chances to be on the show again. Market data provided by Factset. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend., A message on Star Treks official Twitter account read: Were deeply saddened to report the passing of Nichelle Nichols a trailblazer, an inspiration, and so much more. Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images Nichelle Nichols died July 30 at age 89, according to a Facebook post by her son, Kyle Johnson. She had no idea what the show actually was. Girls! The Star Trek TV series broke down stereotypes in the 1960s by casting black and minority actors in high-profile roles. Nichols name was at times invoked at rallies in support of freeing Britney Spears from her conservatorship. In the early 70s, the actress made a few guest appearances on TV and appeared in the 1974 Blaxploitation film Truck Turner starring Isaac Hayes. By Tom Tapp December 24, 2022 2:41pm Maggie Thrett and Leonard Nemoy on 'Star Trek' Everett Collection Maggie Thrett, the actress and singer who most Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Ajudge consistently sided with Johnson. William Shatner, who played Capt. Illinois native Hays, who played the iconic character for 38 years, also touched the hearts of sci-fi lovers worldwide during a guest appearance on Star Trek in 1968. Her breakout role came in the 1966 pre-Civil War-era Western The Road West, in which she played Elizabeth Reynolds for all 29 episodes of the shows running. She was 89 years old. #NichelleNichols pic.twitter.com/DONSz6IV2b, Kate Mulgrew (@TheKateMulgrew) July 31, 2022, J.J. Abrams, who helmed the 2009 Star Trek reboot and its 2013 follow-up Star Trek Into Darkness, called Nichols a remarkable woman in a remarkable role., A remarkable woman in a remarkable role. But Uhura, whose name comes from a Swahili word meaning freedom, was essential beyond the interracial kiss: A capable officer who could man other stations on the bridge when the need arose, she was one of the first African American women to be featured in a non-menial role on television. Nichelle Nichols told us that we belonged in outer space. You are passed regular overtime and are into triple overtime. Nichols mulled leaving Star Trek after the first season to pursue a career on Broadway, but the Rev. Nasa described Nicholls as a "trailblazer" and "role model". We were there from about 4 in the morning to about 9 or 10 at night. Dawson died Wednesday at age 87. She died on November 13, 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Forget shaking the table, she built it! Its great, its gonna be wonderful,' she recalled in a 2016 interview for StarTrek.com. He was 28. She went on to feature in the first six Star Trek movies following the series' end in 1969. She was 79. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Tell us what you think about this feature. (2022) Paramount+. Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away, her son, Kyle Johnson, wrote on his mothers Facebook page Sunday. Jackson DeForest Kelley was born on January 20, 1920 in Toccoa, Georgia, to Clora (Casey) and Ernest David Kelley.He graduated from high school at age 16 and went on to sing at the Baptist church where his father was a minister. I loved playing that. pic.twitter.com/1zlTd4F9BD, My love for the original Star Trek is profound. Barry Jenner was born on January 14, 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. ", Nichelle Nichols (left, as Uhura), Canadian actor William Shatner (as Captain James T. Kirk) holds a plate on the bridge of the USS Enterprise in a scene from 'The Man Trap,' the premiere episode of 'Star Trek,' which aired on Sept. 8, 1966. That man was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said: "Yes, Miss Nichols, I am your greatest fan. The dancer/DJ had become executive producer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Nichols played Lt. Uhura on the original series, voiced her on Star Trek: The Animated Series and played Uhura in the first six Star Trek films. She was considered a trailblazer for Black actors and shared one of TV's first prime-time interracial kisses. (1962), Goodwin played the wholesome rich girl Laurel Dodge, who battles with a singer (Stella Stevens) for the affections of Elvis tuna fisherman and helps him get the boat he always wanted. "Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.". Thank you, Nichelle. Aron Eisenberg was born on January 6, 1969 in Hollywood, California, USA. His 15 October 1924 22 November 1996 (age 72)Character(s): Romulan Commander (T.O.S 1 episode 1966), Sarek T.O.S " 1 episode 1967, T.A.S 1 episode 1973, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 1984, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 1986, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country 1991, T.N.G 2 episode's 1991) & Klingon Captain (Star Trek: The Motion Picture 1979), Actress | Maggie Thrett, the actress and singer who most memorably played Ruth in the Mudds Women episode of the original Star Trek, died December 18, her family announced. He died on September 21, 2019 in the USA. Star Trek and As the World Turns actress Kathryn Hays dead at 87 By Alex Mitchell April 8, 2022 3:00pm Updated "Star Trek" and "As the World Turns" actress Born in Campgaw, New Jersey, Jane Waddington Wyatt came from a New York family of social distinction (her father was a Wall Street investment banker and her mother was a drama critic). American actress Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role in 1960s sci-fi TV series Star Trek, has died aged 89. But Nichols, in her book Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories,saidshe and Shatnerwould thendeliberately mess up their lines to force the original scene to be used. Actor Jon Hamm (51) is reportedly engaged to his longtime girlfriend, actress Anna Osceola (34). I am forever in TV history. ", Nichols explained: "I could say nothing, I just stood there realising that everything he said was the truth. Her former agent Zachery McGinnis also confirmed the death, according to The Washington Post. May she Rest In Peace.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I got in during the very last remnants of the old studio system, which believe me, lasted about six to eight months, she said in Tom Lisantis 2003 book, Drive-in Dream Girls: A Galaxy of B-Movie Starlets of the Sixties. We want to hear from you! It was so different from a regular show.. Nevertheless, it was a landmark moment. Starting in 1979,she appeared in the first of sixof the seriesmovie spinoffs along with other original cast members. By Stephen Iervolino via August 1, 2022, 8:57 AM 3:36 VIDEO: Groundbreaking 'Star Trek' actress Nichelle Nichols dies at After working in the 1964 feature Westerns Stage to Thunder Rock and Law of the Lawless and The Glory Guys, Goodwin was cast as Yeoman J.M. I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. 14 July 1939 24 March 2013 (age 73)Character(s): Jos Tyler (Pilot 1964/1986, T.O.S 2 episodes 1966). "She was a beautiful woman and played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US and throughout the world," he wrote on Twitter. ', The True Story Behind 'Cocaine Bear': A 175-Pound Beast, a Dead Drug Smuggler in Gucci Loafers and More, Michael B. Jordan Meets Reporter at 'Creed III' Premiere Who 'Teased Him all the Time' in High School: 'I Was the Corny Kid, Right? "Star Trek" actress Nichelle Nichols died on Sunday, according to a post shared by her son Kyle on her official Facebook page. I remember we hit Golden Overtime that day [of filming]. This talented actress was born Anne Marie Wersching and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. Shes the one who really opened my eyes to what Star Trek is and can be. The affair ended when Roddenberry realized he was in love with Majel Hudec, whom he married. Nichols' son, Kyle Johnson, announced Nichols' death Sunday in a Facebook post. Why should I have to?". The importance of Nichelle's legacy cannot be over-emphasized. Anton Yelchin was an American actor, known for playing Bobby in Hearts in Atlantis (2001), Chekov in the Star Trek (2009) reboot, Charlie Brewster in the Fright Night (2011) remake, and Jacob in Like Crazy (2011).He was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, USSR, to a Jewish family. Actor Adam Nimoy, whoselatefather Leonard portrayed Spockin the series,tweeted,The importance of Nichelles legacy cannot be over-emphasized. Outside of Star Trek, some of Nichols other credits include sci-fi series Heroes, in which she starred as the grandmother of Monica Dawson (Dana Davis), Are We There Yet?, Snow Dogs and This Bitter Earth. Eric Diaz. 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Hays also guest appeared on more than 40 shows during her life, the most recent being a 2007 episode of Law & Order: SVU, according to TV Line. She opted early on for a life in the entertainment industry, performing in community theatre and later as a dancer for some fourteen years with a troupe called the St. Louis Celtic Stepdancers. Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history on Star Trek. That moment, with her co-star William Shatner, was a courageous move on the part of her, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and NBC considering the climate at the time, but the episode Platos Stepchildren, which aired in 1968, was written to give all involved an out: Uhura and Captain Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so involuntarily by aliens with the ability to control the movements of humans. Peter Duryea was born on July 14, 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Fox News She was a very busy supporting actress who had worked in television for over twenty years before being nominated for an Emmy Award as a supporting actress for Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992) and 1 February 1940 7 September 1996 (age 56)Character(s): Carol Marcus (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 1982), Actor | Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Actor Jansen Panettiere, a child star of the 2000s and brother of actress Hayden Panettiere, died Feb. 19, according to reports from Deadline, CNN and ABC News. THE LAST OF US and STAR TREK Actress, Dies at 45. She began her career as a singer and dancer in Chicago before heading to New York,where she worked for a time with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands. His parents were Ukrainian Jewish immigrants. Girls! If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. 2 MIN READ. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Private company targets May launch for spaceship carrying Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols ashes, How a 1967 Star Trek episode inspired Dean Devlins Syfy series The Ark, We found tickets for all of William Shatners 11 Star Trek shows, Nicolas Cage reveals hes no Star Wars fan: Im a Trekkie, man. She also shared one of TV's first prime-time interracial kisses with her costar William Shatner, further cementing Nichols as a historic figure in Hollywood. His parents met at the University of Arkansas, and when he was almost four his family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As noted by the Post, she was considered a trailblazer for Black actors, particularly for portraying a Black woman in a position of authority. She also voiced the character in Star Trek: The Animated Series., Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away, Nichols son, Kyle Johnson, wrote in a statement on the actress official Facebook page. Sending my love and condolences to her family. Behind them, Leonard Nimoy (as Mr. Spock) stands at a door. Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition. She was also reportedly suffering from dementia and involved in a guardianship battle. Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter, One of the last contract players at Paramount, she also starred with Jackie Gleason in 'Papa's Delicate Condition.'. She was an actress, known for Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), Playing by Heart (1998) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995). They both sold, and both were highly successful.. For the first time on television, we are being seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent beautiful, people who can sing, dance and go into space, be lawyers, teachers, and yet you don't see it on television until now. You led the way and opened the door for the rest of us who followed in your wake. Christopher Pike and Nimoy as Mr. Spock in The Cage for Gene Roddenberrys Star Trek. Video1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars, the US space agency said. 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