Nichelle Nichols

Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Uhura in the original "Star Trek" and paved the way for Black women in Hollywood, has died. She was 89.

Uhura was promoted to lieutenant commander in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and to full commander in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” In “Star Trek Memories,” Shatner said NBC insisted that the actors’ lips never actually touch (though they appear to). But in Nichols’ 1994 autobiography “Beyond Uhura,” the actress insisted that the kiss was in fact real. (Later she would display her singing talents on occasion on “Star Trek.”) The affair ended when Roddenberry realized he was in love with Majel Hudec, whom he married. While working in Chicago, Nichols was twice nominated for that city’s theatrical Sarah Siddons Award for best actress. NASA later employed Nichols in an effort to encourage women and African Americans to become astronauts. When Roddenberry’s health was failing decades later, Nichols co-wrote a song for him, entitled “Gene,” that she sang at his funeral. Later, she sang with his band. There had been a couple of interracial kisses on American television before. 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. Nevertheless, it was a landmark moment. The Uhura-Kirk kiss was likely the first televised white/African American lip-to-lip kiss.

Nichelle Nichols, who gained fame as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original 'Star Trek' television series, has died at the age of 89.

The number of HIV cases has been rising in Canada, and it's having a disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities. The savings accounts of Canadians have sprung a leak. The ancient skeleton of a Gorgosaurus sold at auction for just over US$6 million. They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator. So a handful of local entrepreneurs have started their own ride-sharing apps. Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man ... In this utopian-like future, we solved this issue. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps. 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.

After her role on “Star Trek,” Ms. Nichols played a hard-boiled madame opposite Isaac Hayes in the 1974 blacksploitation film “Truck Turner.” For many years, she performed a one-woman show honoring Black entertainers such as Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt and ...

In the late 1950s, she moved to Los Angeles and entered a cultural milieu that included Pearl Bailey, Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr., with whom she had what she described as a “short, stormy, exciting” affair. In later decades, Ms. Nichols and Shatner touted the smooch as a landmark event that was highly controversial within the network. Ms. Nichols reprised Uhura, promoted from lieutenant to commander, in six feature films between 1979 and 1991 that helped make “Star Trek” a juggernaut. After studying classical ballet and Afro-Cuban dance, she made her professional debut at 14 at the College Inn, a high-society Chicago supper club. Actress Whoopi Goldberg often said that when she saw “Star Trek” as an adolescent, she screamed to her family, “Come quick, come quick. Years later, Ms. Nichols claimed in interviews that she had threatened to quit during the first season but reconsidered after meeting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at an NAACP fundraiser. NASA historians said its recruiting drive — the first since 1969 — had many prongs, and Ms. Nichols’s specific impact as a roving ambassador was modest. She blamed Shatner, whom she called an “insensitive, hurtful egotist” who used his star billing to hog the spotlight. The show received middling reviews and ratings and was canceled after three seasons, but it became a TV mainstay in syndication. While other network programs of the era offered domestic witches and talking horses, “Star Trek” delivered allegorical tales about violence, prejudice and war — the roiling social issues of the era — in the guise of a 23rd-century intergalactic adventure. “Star Trek” was barrier-breaking in many ways. Uhura was presented matter-of-factly as fourth in command, exemplifying a hopeful future when Blacks would enjoy full equality.

The American actor has died at the age of 89. Loved for her inspirational, groundbreaking role as Lt Uhura on Star Trek, here we look back at her life and ...

In addition to acting in Star Trek: The Original Series and six franchise films, Nichols was a fixture at Trekkie events and worked with NASA on astronaut ...

In the late 1970s, as NASA struggled to attract women and people of color to apply to its Space Shuttle program, the agency hired her to lead a campaign to recruit the first women and people of color to travel to space. … He believed, as do I and many others, that this was not simply one possible version of the future, but the only viable one.” “Everyone has her own idea about why Star Trek has endured,” Nichols wrote in her autobiography. Nichols had been one of four of the original Star Trek cast who were still alive. She also returned to one of her first loves: the musical stage. Nichols and her costars eventually returned to the Enterprise to reprise their roles in six Star Trek films. The legal arrangement drew scrutiny from some of Nichols’ friends and the Britney Spears fans who rallied in the #FreeBritney movement against potential conservatorship abuse. Still, she had to continue fighting for lines and for her character’s integrity. Initially frustrated with her lines getting cut and racism she faced on the studio lot, she famously almost quit the series after one season to pursue theater jobs. After the original series ended, Nichols worked with NASA to recruit women and people of color as astronauts and continued to act, appearing onstage and in films like Snow Dogs and the TV series The Young and the Restless. Still, throughout her life, she remained devoted to Star Trek and was a fixture at fan conventions well into her 80s. “He said, ‘For the first time on television we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful people,’” she recalled. As a teenager, she danced at the College Inn, a famous venue in downtown Chicago, where she caught the eye of Duke Ellington. She later toured with the jazz legend.

Actor achieved worldwide fame and broke ground for Black women while playing Nyota Uhura in the original TV hit.

With her very presence and her grace she shone a light on who we as people of color are and inspired us to reach for our potential. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for NASA.” 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. May she forever dwell among the stars,” she wrote. Nichols “modeled it for us. “One of my most treasured photos – Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor.

Nichelle Nichols helped break ground on TV by showing a Black woman in a position of authority and who shared with co-star William Shatner one of the first ...

In the late 1950s, she moved to Los Angeles and entered a cultural milieu that included Pearl Bailey, Sidney Poitier and Sammy Davis Jr., with whom she had what she described as a “short, stormy, exciting” affair. In later decades, Ms. Nichols and Shatner touted the smooch as a landmark event that was highly controversial within the network. Ms. Nichols reprised Uhura, promoted from lieutenant to commander, in six feature films between 1979 and 1991 that helped make “Star Trek” a juggernaut. After studying classical ballet and Afro-Cuban dance, she made her professional debut at 14 at the College Inn, a high-society Chicago supper club. Actress Whoopi Goldberg often said that when she saw “Star Trek” as an adolescent, she screamed to her family, “Come quick, come quick. Years later, Ms. Nichols claimed in interviews that she had threatened to quit during the first season but reconsidered after meeting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. at an NAACP fundraiser. NASA historians said its recruiting drive — the first since 1969 — had many prongs, and Ms. Nichols’s specific impact as a roving ambassador was modest. She blamed Shatner, whom she called an “insensitive, hurtful egotist” who used his star billing to hog the spotlight. The show received middling reviews and ratings and was canceled after three seasons, but it became a TV mainstay in syndication. While other network programs of the era offered domestic witches and talking horses, “Star Trek” delivered allegorical tales about violence, prejudice and war — the roiling social issues of the era — in the guise of a 23rd-century intergalactic adventure. “Star Trek” was barrier-breaking in many ways. Uhura was presented matter-of-factly as fourth in command, exemplifying a hopeful future when Blacks would enjoy full equality.

Nichelle Nichols, whose portrayal of starship communications officer Lieutenant Uhura on the 1960s sci-fi TV series “Star Trek” and subsequent movies broke…

Like other “Star Trek” cast members, she had a hard time finding work due to typecasting after the original series ended. Obama, the first Black U.S. president, who was 5 years old when the “Star Trek” series made its debut, also was a fan. She felt differently about “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, who cast her after she had acted in a previous show he produced. But it became hugely popular in syndication in the 1970s, inspiring first an animated series that reunited the cast from 1973 to 1975 and then a succession of feature films and shows. There’s a Black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!'” Nichols also helped break color barriers at NASA, whose leaders were “Star Trek” fans.

Nichols broke ground and paved the way for Black actors in Hollywood as Uhura. Her castmate George Takei wrote, "We lived long and prospered together."

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L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à ...

Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot « Liberté » en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. L’actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche à l’âge de 89 ans, a annoncé dimanche sa famille dans un communiqué. Surtout connue pour son rôle dans la première série Star Trek, elle avait aussi dansé avec Sammy Davis Jr. dans « Porgy and Bess », joué dans d’autres séries télévisées et enregistré deux albums.

L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradée dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à ...

For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022 En 1968, lorsque William Shatner qui incarnait le fameux capitaine Kirk et Nichelle Nichols s’embrassent, il s’agit du premier baiser entre une personne blanche et une personne de couleur à la télévision américaine. «La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles», a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l’actrice, uhura.com. «Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous».

L'actrice afro-américaine, connue pour son rôle dans la série culte, est morte «de causes naturelles».

Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot «Liberté» en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. «La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles, a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l'actrice, uhura.com. Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous». Un porte-parole de la famille a précisé que l'actrice était décédée à Silver City, au Nouveau-Mexique, où elle vivait avec son fils.

Figure des droits civiques, elle avait marqué l'histoire avec le premier baiser entre une personne blanche et une personne de couleur à la télévision ...

Un porte-parole de la famille a précisé que l’actrice était décédée à Silver City, au Nouveau-Mexique, où elle vivait avec son fils. Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot « Liberté » en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. Dans les années 1970, Nichelle Nichols avait réalisé une vidéo pour aider la Nasa à recruter des astronautes, notamment des femmes et minorités. L’actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit du samedi 30 au dimanche 31 juillet à l’âge de 89 ans, a annoncé sa famille dans un communiqué. « La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles », a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l’actrice. « Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous ».

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original Star Trek television ...

Her name was at times invoked at courthouse rallies that sought the freeing of Britney Spears from her own conservatorship. They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show's creator. When she was a teen her mother told her she had wanted to name her Michelle, but thought she ought to have alliterative initials like Marilyn Monroe, whom Nichols loved. "The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man," Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. She often recalled how Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. During the show's third season, Nichols's character and Shatner's Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. That was a wonderful message to send." She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps. 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. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival.

Nichelle Nichols, ancienne danseuse et chanteuse qui incarnait dans la série de science-fiction des années 1960 le lieutenant Nyota Uhura, officier aux ...

Surtout connue pour son rôle dans la première série Star Trek, elle avait aussi dansé avec Sammy Davis Jr. dans "Porgy and Bess", joué dans d'autres série télévisées et enregistré deux albums. L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche à l'âge de 89 ans, a annoncé dimanche sa famille dans un communiqué. "La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles", a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l'actrice, uhura.com. "Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous".

Nichols, the sci-fi and television icon, was 89 years old.

Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to ride on the Space Shuttle, said that Star Trek had inspired her to join NASA. Also, while the kiss is thought of as a controversial moment, Variety notes that Nichols maintained that the mail she received about it was “overwhelmingly positive and supportive.” But it was Nichols’ own role in Star Trek that went on to define her career and made her an iconic figure in pop culture.

L'actrice âgée de 89 ans, Nichelle Nochols, que l'on a pu connaître grâce à son rôle marquant dans les premières saisons de la série télé Star Trek, ...

[VIDÉO] ▶️ Elle était connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans la série culte Star Trek. L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols est morte dans ...

Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot "Liberté" en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. Cette ancienne danseuse et chanteuse qui incarnait dans la série de science-fiction des années 1960 le lieutenant Nyota Uhura, officier aux origines africaines et parlant couramment swahili, était rapidement devenue une icône des droits civiques. Son visage était bien connu des fans de la série culte Star Trek. L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradé dans le show, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche à l'âge de 89 ans, a annoncé dimanche sa famille dans un communiqué. "La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles", a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l'actrice, uhura.com. "Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous".

Nichols more recently known for role in TV series 'Heroes'

They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator. The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. The two remained lifelong close friends. Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man … In this utopian-like future, we solved this issue. Hence, “Nichelle.” She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. Despite concerns, the episode aired without blowback. 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. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away.

Nichols broke ground and paved the way for Black actors in Hollywood as Uhura. Her castmate George Takei wrote, "We lived long and prospered together."

"Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. George Takei, who costarred on Star Trek as helmsman Hikaru Sulu tweeted: "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," her wrote. "I decided I was going to leave, go to New York and make my way on the Broadway stage." He says, do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch.' I was speechless." "Many actors become stars, but few stars can move a nation," tweeted actress Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman on TV in the 1970s. "And he said, 'what are you talking about?' And I said, 'well, I told Gene just yesterday that I'm going to leave the show after the first year because I've been offered... She grew up singing and dancing, aspiring to star in musical theater. Nichols was born Grace Dell Nichols in a Chicago suburb where her father was the mayor. "He was very upset about it. You're an integral part and very important to it." "We're on a starship. Fourth in command on a starship.

Nichelle Nichols, l'une des premières actrices noires dans un premier rôle à la télé américaine, est décédée hier à l'âge de 89 ans.

Surtout connue pour son rôle dans la première mouture de la série Star Trek, elle avait aussi dansé avec Sammy Davis Jr dans Porgy and Bess, joué dans d’autres séries télévisées et enregistré deux albums. L’actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de lieutenante dans la série culte Star Trek (Patrouille du cosmos au Québec) est décédée dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche à l’âge de 89 ans, a annoncé dimanche sa famille dans un communiqué. Dans les années 1970, Nichelle Nichols avait réalisé une vidéo pour aider la NASA à recruter des astronautes, notamment des femmes et des personnes issues de minorités.

L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, connue pour son rôle pionnier de haut gradée dans la série culte Star Trek, est morte dans la nuit de samedi à ...

Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot « Liberté » en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022 « La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles », a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l’actrice, uhura.com. « Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous ».

Today is a sad day for fans with news breaking on the passing of Nichelle Nichols, the trailblazing actress who played Uhura on Star Trek: The Original ...

Nichols’ role as a person of authority and expertise on the bridge of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek was groundbreaking for 1960s television. Her final convention appearance was during the Nichelle Nichols Farewell Celebration, a 3-day event held during Los Angeles Comic Con on December 3-5, 2021. The on-screen kiss she shared with William Shatner in the third season episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” was both groundbreaking and controversial. She first worked with Gene Roddenberry when she guest-starred on The Lieutenant, the series he produced prior to Star Trek. She eventually moved to Los Angeles, where she danced in movies and began to get guest roles on television shows. In the last year, Nichols moved from Los Angeles to Silver City, New Mexico to be closer to her family.

Trailblazer was a word used by many to mourn the passing of actor Nichelle Nichols, who died Saturday at age 89. Nichols broke barriers for Black women in ...

So a handful of local entrepreneurs have started their own ride-sharing apps. The savings accounts of Canadians have sprung a leak. The ancient skeleton of a Gorgosaurus sold at auction for just over US$6 million. The number of HIV cases has been rising in Canada, and it's having a disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities. This is just one of the scary impacts that our warming planet is having on lakes globally right now, according to John Smol, a professor at Queen’s University. This is just one of the scary impacts that our warming planet is having on lakes globally right now, according to John Smol, a professor at Queen’s University. “Nichelle Nichols told us that we belonged in outer space. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many. Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. May she Rest In Peace.” Kate Mulgrew, “Star Trek: Voyager” cast member, on Twitter. “A remarkable woman in a remarkable role. Tributes from fellow actors poured in on social media Sunday. Her “Star Trek” co-star George Takei said he would have more to say soon but that his heart is heavy.

The communications officer aboard the original USS Enterprise appeared in delighted fans onscreen and at conventions for over 50 years.

After the first season of the show, Nichols considered leaving the program and heading back to musical theater. In a season two episode, when time was of the essence, Lt. Uhura was seen swiftly soldering clutch communications equipment. (In the animated series, she sat in the Captain’s chair for part of an episode.) Born in 1932 in a suburb of Chicago, Nichols began her career as a singer and dancer, touring with both Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton’s bands. She was cast in the episode “To Set It Right” on the short-lived series The Lieutenant. The show, which starred Gary Lockwood, was set at a West Coast Marine Corps base, and this particular episode featured some racially driven animosity between Dennis Hopper and Don Marshall. The series, which was produced in concert with the Pentagon, was unwilling to show anything that even remotely touched upon the issue of race, so the episode, in which Nichols co-starred, never aired. She was 89 years old at the time of her death.

Trailblazer Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura on "Star Trek" and shared one of TV's first interracial kisses with William Shatner, has died at 89.

NASA asked Nichols, who had also started a consultant firm, Women in Motion, to help recruit more women and people of color to apply for the astronaut program. Nichols, born Grace Dell Nichols on Dec. 28, 1932, in Robbins, Illinois, started her career as a dancer and singer, and she wanted to be the first Black ballerina when she was younger. During the show’s third season, Nichols' Uhura and Shatner’s Captain Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. TV series. She planned to leave the show after its first season to explore other acting opportunities, but a fan surprised Nichols at an NAACP event and was disappointed to hear she was thinking of quitting. "I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years," Johnson wrote on Facebook. "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Family friend Sky Conway confirmed to USA TODAY that Nichols died Saturday evening in Silver City, New Mexico, calling her "truly transformational" and "an amazing person."

Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, ...

They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator. The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. The two remained lifelong close friends. Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man … In this utopian-like future, we solved this issue. Hence, “Nichelle.” She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. Despite concerns, the episode aired without blowback. 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. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away.

In Nichelle Nichols, our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women. A daughter of a.

And she continued this legacy by going on to work with NASA to empower generations of Americans from every background to reach for the stars and beyond. During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, she shattered stereotypes to become the first Black woman to act in a major role on a primetime television show with her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek. With a defining dignity and authority, she helped tell a central story that reimagined scientific pursuits and discoveries. A daughter of a working-class family from Illinois, she first honed her craft as an actor and singer in Chicago before touring the country and the world performing with the likes of Duke Ellington and giving life to the words of James Baldwin.

A lire sur AlloCiné : Les Trekkies en deuil : la comédienne américaine Nichelle Nichols, qui avait campé le lieutenant Uhura dans la série et les films ...

Icône de la science-fiction, elle est également apparue dans Heroes, Futurama (dans son propre rôle), Les Simpson et récemment Star Trek Renegades Ominara. Son rôle de Uhura a été repris par Zoe Saldana dans le reboot cinématographique de 2009. Un astéroïde de la ceinture principale, découvert en 2001, a été baptisé en son honneur : 68410 Nichols. Je suis triste d'apprendre le décès de Nichelle. C'était une belle femme qui a joué un personnage admirable qui a tant fait pour adresser les sujets sociaux ici aux États-Unis et dans le monde entier.

Elle avait marqué l'histoire de la télévision en interprétant le rôle du lieutenant Nyota Uhura dans la série "Star Trek".

Elle a aussi joué Uhura, un nom dérivé du mot "Liberté" en swahili, dans les six premiers films déclinés de la série Star Trek. Cette ancienne danseuse et chanteuse qui incarnait dans la série de science-fiction des années 1960 le lieutenant Nyota Uhura, officier aux origines africaines et parlant couramment swahili, était rapidement devenue une icône des droits civiques. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022

Actor who blazed a trail for black women on American TV in the 1960s in the role of Lt Uhura in Star Trek.

She later played Nana Dawson, the matriarch of a New Orleans family devastated by Hurricane Katrina, in the second series (2007) of the TV sci-fi drama Heroes. When it was confirmed that he had, they began discussing Uhura, whose name came from the title of a novel about the fight for freedom in Africa that Nichols had with her at the audition. In the 1974 blaxploitation film Truck Turner, she was Dorinda, a foul-mouthed madam hiring a gangster to carry out revenge on the bounty hunters (played by Isaac Hayes and Alan Weeks) who killed her pimp boyfriend. After Nichols and her family moved to Chicago, she studied dance at the Chicago Ballet Academy from the age of 12. Star Trek’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, championed sexual and racial equality, and presented a hopeful vision of the future in the series. She saw Uhura – her name was based on uhuru, the Swahili for “freedom” – not only as a role model for black people, but also for women with ambitions to become astronauts or scientists.

Her role in the 1966-69 series as Lt. Uhura earned Nichols a lifelong position of honor with the series' rabid fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies.

Her name was at times invoked at courthouse rallies that sought the freeing of Britney Spears from her own conservatorship. They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator. The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man … In this utopian-like future, we solved this issue. She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. Hence, “Nichelle.” 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. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival. “Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away.

Trailblazer was a word used by many to mourn the passing of actor Nichelle Nichols, who died Saturday at age 89. Nichols broke barriers for Black women in ...

The changes that "Star Trek" brought about to the global village sometimes seem as vast and multidimensional as that "final frontier" where several ...

As with the other cast members, Nichols figured "Trek's" cancellation in 1969 was the last of it. And Nichols' Uhura played a significant role in lighting that beacon even if, after the first season and the show's so-so ratings, she wasn't sure it was worth another go-round. But "Star Trek" and every movie, cartoon, book and series it spawned remains a beacon of hope. Just begin with the effect of her presence on the Enterprise bridge. Most of those changes were far from apparent when what's now digitally marketed as "Star Trek: The Original Series" premiered in September 1966. They had names, faces and crucial roles to play every week.

L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols, devenue une icône des droits civiques en incarnant le lieutenant Uhura dans la série télévisée originale "Star ...

We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. "La nuit dernière, ma mère Nichelle Nichols est décédée de causes naturelles", a indiqué son fils Kyle sur le site officiel de l'actrice, uhura.com. "Sa vie a été bien vécue et a été un modèle pour nous tous". Son rôle de haut gradé dans la série culte " Star Trek" en avait fait une icône. L'actrice afro-américaine Nichelle Nichols est morte dans la nuit du samedi 30 au dimanche 31 juillet à l'âge de 89 ans, a annoncé sa famille dans un communiqué.