RIP Teri Garr

Teri Garr, the quirky comedy actor who rose from background dancer in Elvis Presley movies to co-star of such favorites as “Young Frankenstein” and “Tootsie,” has died. She was 79. Known for her comedic roles in film and television she received nominations for an Academy Award, and a British Academy Film Award. Garr died Tuesday of multiple sclerosis surrounded by family and friends. She battled other health problems in recent years and underwent an operation in January 2007 to repair an aneurysm.

Garr was raised primarily in North Hollywood, California. She was the third child of a comedic-actor father and a studio costumer mother. In her youth, Garr trained in ballet and other forms of dance. She began her career as a teenager with small roles in television and film in the early 1960s, including appearances as a dancer in six Elvis Presley musicals. She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City. She had her big break appearing in an episode of Star Trek, “Assignment Earth”. Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role as an acting student in  Tootsie (1982).

She is known for her roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller The Conversation  (1974) and One from the Heart (1982), Mel Brooks’s comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), Steven Spielberg’s science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Martin Scorsese’s black comedy After Hours (1985). She also acted in the comedy films Oh, God! (1977), Mr. Mom (1983), Dumb and Dumber  (1994), Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001). Garr was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her comedic role as an acting student in Tootsie (1982). She is known for her roles in Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller The Conversation (1974) and One from the Heart (1982), Mel Brooks’s comedy Young Frankenstein (1974), Steven Spielberg’s science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Martin Scorsese’s black comedy After Hours (1985). She also acted in the comedy films Oh, God! (1977), Mr. Mom (1983), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Michael (1996) and Ghost World (2001).

In the late 1990s, Garr landed a role as recurring character Phoebe Abbott in Friends, the estranged birth mother of Phoebe Buffay. She retired from acting in 2011. In 2006, Garr published an autobiography,  Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood, which details her career and health struggles after her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. In the early 1980s, Garr was in a seven-year relationship with film executive Roger Birnbaum, followe y a 7 year relationship with physician John O’Neil. Garr married  building contractor John O’Neil, and that same year, in November, they were present when their adopted daughter Molly O’Neil was born. The couple divorced in 1996.

RIP Patti Yasutake

Patti Yasutake, who was a regular on “Beef” and played Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” died Aug. 5 in Santa Monica of cancer. She was 70. On Netflix’s “Beef,” Yasutake played George’s mother Fumi Nakai. She is most famous for her “Star Trek” role as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the tv series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the movie Star Trek Generations and Star Trek : First Contact.

She started her career working with Mako at East West Players theater company. She also worked with the other companies including Los Angeles Theatre Center, South Coast Repertory, the Westwood Playhouse. Her television acting career began in 1985 with an appearance on the show T. J. Hooker. Yasutake’s major feature debut came in Ron Howard’s 1986 comedy “Gung Ho,” and she went on to star in the TV series adaptation as Umeki, a Japanese wife trying to become more Americanized. Her other TV guest appearances included “The Closer,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Bones,” and films including “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” “Blind Spot” and “The Road to Galveston.”

More recently, she appeared on Boston Legal. She resided in Hollywood, California. She was married. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in 1988 for her role in The Wash. She also directed for the theater, staging premieres including “Doughball” at East West Players and “Father, I Must Have Rice” at the Ensemble Studio Theater, along with a reprise of “Tea” at the Odyssey Theater. Overall she played Nurse Ogawa in 16 episode of TNG. she auditioned for the part of an unnamed conn officer on The Next Generation but wasn’t cast. After she first appeared as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in the fourth season episode “Future Imperfect” in 1990 she wasn’t convinced to be called back and play this part again. Yasutake was also a contender for the role of Keiko O’Brien, introduced in the same season, but the role was cast with actress Rosalind Chao.

In 2001 she provided additional voices for the video game Star Trek: Armada II. In 1993, Yastutake also portrayed Alyssa Ogawa in a Hallmark television commercial in North America where she is seen questioning the shipboard computer about the features of the USS Enterprise-D “Keepsake” ornament. She has had movie roles in Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot, Dangerous Intentions, Drop Dead Gorgeous and The Coverup. Born in Los Angeles, she was raised in Gardena and Inglewood and graduated UCLA with Honors in Theater. She is survived by siblings Linda Hayashi and Steve Yasutake.

What Are The Events That Led To World War III In Star Trek?

In the Star Trek universe, World War III is a significant historical event that shapes the future of humanity. The details of the conflict are provided through various episodes across different series. Here is a summary of the events leading to World War III in the Star Trek lore:

  1. Escalation of Tensions:
    • By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, geopolitical tensions on Earth had been growing. Nationalistic fervor, economic disparities, and ideological differences contributed to increasing instability.
  2. Genetic Engineering and the Eugenics Wars:
    • In the 1990s, humanity experienced the Eugenics Wars, a series of conflicts involving genetically engineered superhumans, known as Augments. These Augments, such as Khan Noonien Singh, attempted to seize control of the planet. Although Khan and his followers were eventually defeated and exiled, the wars left lasting scars and contributed to distrust of genetic engineering.
  3. Decline of Global Stability:
    • By the early 21st century, the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars and other conflicts led to a significant decline in global stability. Nation-states struggled with economic collapse, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity.
  4. Outbreak of World War III:
    • The actual outbreak of World War III occurred around 2026, sparked by conflicts over resources and ideological differences. It was a devastating global conflict involving multiple factions and the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. The war lasted for several decades, peaking in the 2050s.
  5. Devastation and Aftermath:
    • World War III resulted in the deaths of approximately 600 million people and widespread devastation. Major cities were destroyed, governments collapsed, and much of Earth’s infrastructure was left in ruins. The social, economic, and environmental impacts were catastrophic.
  6. Post-War Recovery and the Phoenix Launch:
    • In the aftermath of the war, humanity faced a long period of recovery. Amidst the ruins, individuals like Zefram Cochrane worked on technological advancements. Cochrane’s successful test of the warp drive on April 5, 2063, attracted the attention of the Vulcans, leading to First Contact and setting humanity on a path toward unity and exploration.
  7. Formation of a New World Order:
    • Following First Contact, humans began to rebuild and reorganize society. The realization that they were not alone in the universe prompted efforts to overcome past divisions. This period of rebuilding eventually led to the formation of the United Earth government and later, the United Federation of Planets.

World War III in the Star Trek universe serves as a pivotal turning point, highlighting the destructive potential of humanity but also its capacity for recovery, cooperation, and progress.

RIP Kenneth Mitchell

Canadian actor Kenneth Mitchell has passed away. Mitchell revealed that he was diagnosed with  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He has used a power wheelchair since October 2019.  By August 2021, Mitchell had lost the use of his voice due to the disease. He is known for his portrayal of 3 different Klingons in Star Trek Discovery – Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik in seasons 1 & 2, as well as the wheelchair ridden human Aurellio, in season 3!

Among his prominent roles, in 2002, Mitchell had a recurring role on the TV series Odyssey 5, which was created by Manny Coto and starred Peter Weller. He played the older son of Weller’s character who was a little estranged from his astronaut father & younger brother. In 2004 he played real life American hockey player Ralph Cox in Miracle and went on to play a main character in the American post-apocalyptic  action drama television series Jericho. He went on to have a recurring role in Ghost Whisperer an Switched at birth and starred in the 2013 tv movie Tasmanian Devil on SYFY alongside Mike Dopu Roger Cross, Rekha Sharma & Danica McKellar.

He has been in numerous guest appearance on tv after moving to the Los Angeles area before playing 3 different Klingons in Star Trek Discovery. In Season 1 he played Kol, from the house of Kor, the commanding officer of the Klingon military. He also portrayed Kol-Sha, the father of Kol, in the season 2 episode “Point of Light” and Tenavik, a Klingon monk who is the child of Ash Tyler/Vog an T’rell. In 2019, Mitchell appeared in two flashback scenes as the father of Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe feature Captain Marvel. Mitchell was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”) in August 2018, and has been using a wheelchair since October 2019. he role of Aurellio was subsequently written for him as a hoverchair user, to retain his talent for the show and incorporate his wheelchair use. The USS Mitchell, which featured in Discovery season 4, is named for him.

Mitchell is survived by his wife actress Susan May Pratt, who he married on in 2006, and their two children, a daughter (born 2007) and a son (born 2012).

Star Trek Discovery’s 5th & Final Season Comes Out In Just Over A Month

The 5th and final season of Star Trek Discovery is soon upon us. As per the update from Paramount, the 10 episode season will premier on April 4th and end on May 30th. The most divisive of the Star Trek shows which debuted back in 2017, season 5 follows the crew of the starship Discovery in the 32nd century, more than 900 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, on a galactic adventure to find a mysterious power that has been hidden for centuries and which other dangerous groups are also searching for.

Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham, captain of the Discovery, along with the returning Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman, Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio, and David Ajala. They are joined by Callum Keith Rennie (yes from Due South, Hard Core Logo & Battlestar Galactica) who plays a new character named Captain Rayner,  war-time Starfleet captain struggling to adjust to peace. He is joined this season by fellow Canadians Eve Harlow as Moll & Elias Toufexis as L’ak – who look like they will be the main villains of the season. Returning in supporting roles are Oded Fehr as Charles Vance, Chelah Horsdal as Laira Rillak, Tara Rosling as T’Rina, David Cronenberg as Kovich & Tig Notaro as Jett Reno.

While I admit that the show deserves credit for the fact that we have had four other shows after it’s early success, I am not sad to see it end. There is way too many problems with the show, the casting the writing and the acting. Special effects is awesome and I must say that I did like the 1st season and the second season – mainly for getting us Pike, Una & young Spock and the spinoff Strange New Worlds. The crying, the whispering, the head titling and Space Jesus and the “feelings”  – ugh. I have so many issues with the acting and casting choices of Mary Wiseman an Blu Del Barrio as well as David Adjala but I am so glad that they got rid of Ian Alexander as he was terrible! Hoping that season 5 will be way better.

RIP Gary Graham

American actor Gary Graham, known for a variety of roles in the Star Trek universe, and his lead role on the tv series Alien Nation, has reportedly passed away. He was 73 years old.  His ex-wife, actress Susan Lavelle, broke the sad news on her personal Facebook page in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 23, sharing a series of photos that included Gary hugging their daughter, Haylee Graham, he and Lavelle attending the Sixth Annual Television Hall of Fame Awards in 1990, and a press photo from the series Alien Nation, in which he starred as Detective Matthew Sikes.

With a career spanning five decades beginning in the 1970s in television and movies, he is perhaps best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series Alien Nation (1989–1990) and five subsequent Alien Nation television films (1994–1997), as well as his work in the Star Trek franchise, most notably the recurring role of Soval, the Vulcan ambassador to Earth in Star Trek: Enterprise. Born in Long Beach, California. One of his earliest roles was in the 1980 CBS mini series  Scruples based on the Judith Krantz novel starring Lindsay Wagner. He was cast as a “hitman” on the television show Moonlighting co-starring opposite Bruce Willis. Graham played more than 38 TV roles and had been in more than 40 movies.

He also guest-starred on Star Trek: Voyager (1995) once, playing Ocampan community leader Tanis in the season 2 episode “Cold Fire”. He played Ragnar in the fan production Star Trek: Of Gods and Men and continued that role in Star Trek: Renegades. In 2015, Graham reprised his role as Ambassador Soval, in the fan film Star Trek: Axanar. As a musician, Graham was in the bands The Gary Graham Garage Band, The Gary Graham Band and The Sons of Kirk.

Star Trek : Lower Decks – Replicate Yourself As A Starfleet Officer In The Animated Show

Do you ever wish you were in Starfleet? Traveling the galaxy, meeting aliens and visiting strange new worlds? Star Trek: Lower Decks is offering you the chance! With Star Trek: Lower Decks Replicate Yourself, you can become a part of the Trek universe by creating an avatar in the Star Trek: Lower Decks style. Joining the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is an honor that would impress even Kahless, so visit the site now and enter the Lower Decks universe.

RIP Nicolas Coster

Nicolas Coster, an English–born American actor, has passed away at the age of 89. Coster was most known for his work in daytime drama and as a character actor on nighttime television series, such as Wonder Woman, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, T. J. Hooker, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Coster was born in London to an American mother and a New Zealand father who was a London theatre critic and marine commander, Coster was raised mostly in California. Coster returned to England to study acting at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Art. He also studied acting with Lee Strasberg in New York City. After his stint on Broadway and the Victoria Theatre in England, Coster appeared in the NBC soap opera Young Doctor Malone. He created the role of Professor Paul Britton on The Secret Storm, a role he played in 1964 and from 1967 to 1968. He played John Eldridge in the primetime serialized drama Our Private World and on As the World Turns.

Coster created the role of Robert Delaney on Somerset in March 1970 and later moved to Another World playing the same character. He played gangster-turned-informant Anthony Makana on One Life to Live, but left that series to create the role of Lionel Lockridge on Santa Barbara. He played kidnapper Steve Andrews on the ABC soap opera All My Children and returned to Another World for its 25th anniversary in 1989. He returned to his role on Santa Barbara in 1990 until the show was canceled in January 1993. He appeared on As the World Turns from 1993–1995.

I first watched him on Santa Barbara back in the early 90s when the show was being telecast on cable tv in India. Back then we had one channel with American and some British shows and my sister and I watched a bunch of the soaps as well. After that I saw him in an episode of Star Trek The Next Generation in which he plays Admiral Haftel and more recently in The Concorde … Airport ’79.

RIP Annie Wersching

Actress Annie Wersching, best known for her roles in the television shows 24, Bosch, Timeless and more recently in Star Trek : Picard, died of cancer early yesterday. She was 45. Wersching continued to shoot even after her 2020 diagnosis, with prominent roles in Star Trek: Picard as the Borg queen in Season 2, and The Rookie. She also voiced Tess in the popular The Last Of Us video game, which was adapted into a TV series by HBO.

Wersching was born and raised in St. Louis by parents Sandy and Frank. Wersching began her acting career with a guest appearance on the show Star Trek: Enterprise and moved on to guest starring roles on such shows as Charmed, Killer Instinct, Supernatural and Cold Case. From March to November 2007, she played the recurring role of Amelia Joffe on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She has also worked in theaters such as Victory Gardens, Marriott Lincolnshire, and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. She went on to star as Renee Walker in Seasons 7 and 8 of 24. After her two-season stint in 24, Wersching guest starred on various shows, including CSI, NCIS, Rizzoli & Isles, Hawaii Five-0, Body of Proof, Dallas,  Revolution, Castle, Blue Bloods, The Vampire Diaries and Touch.

She played a great villain in the short lived Timeless before she was part of 3 seasons of the superhero series The Runaways. In December 2012, it was revealed that in the PlayStation 3 exclusive The Last of Us, Wersching was the voice and motion-capture actor of the character Tess. Wersching was diagnosed with an unspecified cancer in 2020, though she continued to act afterward. One of her final roles was in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard exactly two decades after she made her screen acting debut in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. She played a Borg Queen in an alternate timeline who is captured. Wersching is survived by her husband and children Freddie, 12; Ozzie, and Archie, 4.

RIP Kirstie Alley

Actress Kirstie Alley, best known for her role in the comedy series Cheers, the Look Who’s Talking movies & Star Trek in the 1980s and 90s, has died of cancer at 71, according to a family statement. Her breakout role was as pub manager Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991. From 1997 to 2000, she starred in the sitcom Veronica’s Closet, earning additional Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Alley appeared in various films, including Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Summer School (1987), Shoot to Kill (1988), Look Who’s Talking (1989) and its two sequels (1990–1993), Madhouse (1990), Sibling Rivalry (1990), Village of the Damned (1995), It Takes Two (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), For Richer or Poorer (1997), and Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999). She won her second Emmy Award in 1994 for the television film David’s Mother. In 1997, Alley received another Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series The Last Don.

In 2005, she played a fictionalized version of herself on Showtime’s Fat Actress. She later appeared on Kirstie Alley’s Big Life (2010), and was a contestant on the 12th season of Dancing with the Stars (2011–2012), finishing in second place. In 2013, Alley returned to acting with the title role on the sitcom Kirstie. In 2016, she appeared on the Fox comedy horror series Scream Queens. In 2018, she was a contestant on the 22nd series of the British reality show Celebrity Big Brother, in which she finished as runner-up.

Alley was married from 1970 to 1977 to high-school sweetheart Bob Alley, who coincidentally had the same name as her father. Alley married actor Parker Stevenson on December 22, 1983. Following a miscarriage, the couple adopted son William “True” one week after his October 5, 1992, birth, and in 1995 adopted daughter Lillie. The marriage ended in 1997. In 2016, Alley became a grandmother after her son William had a son of his own.

RIP Louise Fletcher

Louise Fletcher, the imposing, steely-eyed actress who won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her role as the tyrannical Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, died on Friday at her home in the town of Montdurausse, in Southern France. She was 88. The death was confirmed by her agent, David Shaul, who did not cite a cause. Ms. Fletcher also had a home in Los Angeles.  She was also well-known for her recurring role as the Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–99), as well as for her role as Helen Rosemond in the movie Cruel Intentions (1999).

Born in Alabama to two deaf parents, she was initially taught by her aunt. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her roles in the television series Picket Fences (1996) and Joan of Arcadia (2004). Her final role was as Rosie in the Netflix series Girlboss (2017). Fletcher began appearing in several television series including Lawman (1958) and Maverick (1959) before her two guest roles in Perry Mason in 1960. She was a relatively unknown 40 year old when she was cast as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).

Since then he made several financially and critically successful films, while others were box-office failures. Her roles in more successful films such as Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Lady in Red (1979), Firestarter (1984), Invaders From Mars (1986), Flowers in the Attic (1987), Two Moon Junction (1988), Virtuosity (1995) and Cruel Intentions (1999, as Sebastian’s aunt). Additionally, she played the character Ruth Shorter, a supporting role, in Aurora Borealis (2005), alongside Joshua Jackson and Donald Sutherland, and appeared in the Fox Faith film The Last Sin Eater (2007). She also was in tv movies but her most famous role on tv was as the recurring role in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the scheming Bajoran religious leader Kai Winn Adami.

Let me tell you something – I will always associate her as Adami (I have also watched her in Flowers In The Attic & Exorcist II: The Heretic. And I, like most people hate the character. That is a credit to her acting; she really played that role so well. Similarly in Flowers In The Attic she plays another character that I despise but man what a talented actress. I feel a profound sadness on the loss.

Seven Facts About Nichelle Nichols

1. She was the first African–American actress to play a mainstay role on US television and paved the way for other African-American actors in the industry.

2. Nichelle influenced many intergalactic movies with her unique 60s fashion style of skirts and thigh-high boots.

3. Uhura and Captain Kirk shared a kiss on screen that was one of the first interracial kisses to be shown on US television.

4. Nichelle had partnered with NASA to recruit women and those belonging to minorities for their space programme.

5. Nichelle initially had left the cult show for a Broadway play but Martin Luther Jr. was the driving force that made her return to the show. According to Martin, the show portrayed a non-stereotypical character that inspired many that had never been seen on US television before. Nichelle got inspired by his words and decided to keep portraying the character.

6. Her character Uhura became a role model for minority astronauts Sally Ride and Colonel Guion Bluford who were a part of Nichelle’s space programme.

7. The late actress had a soulful voice and a musical resume. In one of the Star Trek episodes, Uhura partners with Spock to treat her crew members to a melodious song.

Nichelle Nichols The First Lady Of Science Fiction Has Passed Away

Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known for her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” has died at age 89, according to a statement from her son, Kyle Johnson. Nichols died from natural causes, he said. Nichols portrayed communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura in the “Star Trek” TV series and many of its film offshoots. When “Star Trek” began in 1966, Nichols was a television rarity: a Black woman in a notable role on a prime-time television series. There had been African-American women on TV before, but they often played domestic workers and had small roles; Nichols’ Uhura was an integral part of the multicultural “Star Trek” crew.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called it “the first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a Black woman in television history.” Nichols is widely known for participating in one of the first interracial kisses on US television when her character kissed James T. Kirk, portrayed by White Canadian actor William Shatner. In an interview with CNN in 2014, Nichols said the kiss scene “changed television forever, and it also changed the way people looked at one another.” After “Trek’s” three-season run, Nichols dedicated herself to the space program. She helped NASA in making the agency more diverse, helping to recruit astronauts Sally Ride, Judith Resnik and Guion Bluford, among others.

George Takei, who portrayed the USS Enterprise’s helmsman Hikaru Sulu, posted a touching tribute to his co-star. “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,” wrote Takei on Twitter. “For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.” NASA tweeted “We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.”

Nichols was born Grace Dell Nichols near Chicago in 1932. (Unhappy with Grace, she took the name Nichelle when she was a teenager.) Her grandfather was a White Southerner who married a Black woman, causing a rift in his family. Blessed with a four-octave vocal range, Nichols was performing in local clubs by the time she was 14. Among the performers she met was Duke Ellington, who later took her on tour. She also worked extensively in Chicago clubs and in theater. She moved to Los Angeles in the early ’60s and landed a role in a Gene Roddenberry series, “The Lieutenant.” A number of “Star Trek” veterans, including Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig and Majel Barrett, also worked on the show. When Roddenberry was creating “Trek,” he remembered Nichols. She was in Europe when she got the call.

Nichols was once tempted to leave the series; however, a conversation with Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind. Towards the end of the first season, Nichols was given the opportunity to take a role on Broadway. She preferred the stage to the television studio, so she decided to take the role. Nichols went to Roddenberry’s office, told him that she planned to leave, and handed him her resignation letter. Roddenberry tried to convince Nichols to stay but to no avail, so he told her to take the weekend off and if she still felt that she should leave then he would give her his blessing. But it took Dr. Martin King Jr to convince her to stay on the show. King personally encouraged her to stay on the series, saying she “could not give up” because she was playing a vital role model for Black children and young women across the country, as well as for other children who would see Black people appearing as equals, going so far as to favorably compare her work on the series to the marches of the ongoing civil rights movement.

Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Nichols’ role of Lieutenant Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut and Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken of Nichols’ influence. In her role as Lieutenant Uhura, Nichols kissed white actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in the November 22, 1968, Star Trek episode “Plato’s Stepchildren”. The episode is cited as the first example of an interracial kiss on scripted U.S. television. The Shatner/Nichols kiss was seen as groundbreaking, even though it was portrayed as having been forced by alien telekinesis. There was some praise and almost no dissent. Despite the cancellation of the series in 1969, Star Trek lived on in other ways, and continued to play a part in Nichols’ life. She again provided the voice of Uhura in Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Nichols co-starred in six Star Trek films, the last one being Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Between the end of the original series and the Star Trek animated series and feature films, Nichols appeared in small television and film roles. She briefly appeared as a secretary in Doctor, You’ve Got to Be Kidding! (1967), and portrayed Dorienda, a foul-mouthed madam in Truck Turner (1974) opposite Isaac Hayes. In the comedy film Snow Dogs (2002), Nichols appeared as the mother of the male lead, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. n 2006, she appeared as the title character in the film Lady Magdalene’s, the madam of a legal Nevada brothel in tax default. Nichols released two music albums. Down to Earth is a collection of standards released in 1967, during the original run of Star Trek. Out of This World, released in 1991, is more rock oriented and is themed around Star Trek and space exploration.

In her autobiography, Nichols wrote that she was romantically involved with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for a few years in the 1960s. She said the affair ended well before Star Trek began, when she realized Roddenberry was also involved with her acquaintance Majel Hudec (known as Majel Barrett). Nichols married twice, first to dancer Foster Johnson (1917–1981). They were married in 1951 and divorced that same year. Johnson and Nichols had one child together, Kyle Johnson, who was born August 14, 1951. She married for the second time to Duke Mondy in 1968. They were divorced in 1972. In early 2018, Nichols was diagnosed with dementia, and subsequently announced her retirement from convention appearances. Asteroid 68410 Nichols is named in her honor. Nichols died of heart failure in Silver City, New Mexico, on July 30, 2022, at the age of 89.