Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, who is best known for her groundbreaking portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in “Star Trek: The Original Series,” passed away on Sunday at age 89.
“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. 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 son, Kyle Johnson, said in a statement quoted by CNN. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”
Nichols portrayed communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura in the “Star Trek” TV series and in subsequent film offshoots.
Her role on “Star Trek” was notable when the series began in 1966, as it was rare to see a Black woman in a notable role on a prime-time television series. While there had been African-American women on TV before, they often played small roles, whereas Nichols’ Uhura was an integral part of the multicultural “Star Trek” crew.
George Takei, who portrayed Hikaru Sulu on “Star Trek”, 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.”
“We lived long and prospered together,” he added with a photo of the pair making the iconic Vulcan salute.
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 subsequently moved to Los Angeles in the early ’60s and landed a role in “The Lieutenant”, a series produced by “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry.
When Roddenberry was creating “Star Trek,” he remembered Nichols and contacted her in Europe to offer her the role.
CNN noted that Uhura wasn’t in the original script, and Nichols herself was responsible for the name. She was reading a book called “Uhuru” – “freedom” in Swahili – and suggested her character take the name.