Nichelle Nichols played an iconic role in the beloved Star Trek series. The actress was loved by fans all around the world and her passing shall definitely leave a void!
Nichelle Nichols was widely known for her iconic role of Lt. Nyota Uhura on ‘Star Trek.’ She broke barriers for Black women, as she was one of the first to play a lead role on television. She made her debut on the popular series in 1966. She first appeared as a bridge crew member for USS Enterprise, starring alongside William Shatner‘s character Captain Kirk.
Her son, Kyle Johnson released a statement on her official Facebook account about her death. The statement read, “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 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,”
It 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,” it continued. “Her services will be for family members and the closest of her friends and we request that her and our privacy be respected.”
Ending the statement with the iconic line on his mother’s most popular fictional portrayal, “Live Long and Prosper.”
Nichols was an icon in her own right. Her appearance on ‘Star Trek’ made history and marked an important chapter for other black actors and characters to be introduced to the show.
Her kiss with William Shatner in the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren” was the first interracial kiss on American television.
The official account for Star Trek also put out a tweet about her loss.
“We’re deeply saddened to report the passing of Nichelle Nichols – a trailblazer, an inspiration, and so much more. She will be deeply missed,” the tweet read.
Nichols famously told the story of how it was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who convinced her to stay on and play the role of Lt. Nyota Uhura. She had dreams of starring on broadway but decided to stay on the show on his urging.
SHe said in an 1992 interview about her meeting with King, “I turned around straight into the face of Dr. Martin Luther King and nearly fainted. He admired the show and told me how much he admired my work and how important it was. I said, ‘Well, thank you very much, but I’m leaving the show.’ And Dr. King said, ‘You can not! You have changed the face of television forever!'” she recalled.
She said King thought her portrayal was important, “He said, ‘It is more important that people who are not Black see this show, see you in this role because they see us for the first time as we should be seen, as equals.'”
She continued her role for three seasons and also reprised it in subsequent films and animated series. Because of her iconic role, NASA hired her to help them encourage women and African Americans to become astronauts.
Nichols long-running career began at the age of 16, singing with Duke Ellington. She went on to study film in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. In her lifetime, she appeared on stage in productions of ‘Carmen and Kicks & Co.’ as well as appearing on Heroes, ‘Are We There Yet and Snow Dog.’
In 2015, Nichols suffered from a stroke which she recovered from fairly quickly. Following her stroke, she said in a statement, “I am feeling the best that I felt in a very long time,” Nichols told Nischelle Turner. Nichols added that there’s was no loss of mobility in the wake of her stroke. I am as wild and woolly as I have ever been.”
Nichols is survived by her son, Kyle Johnson who is also an actor.
Our hearts go out to everyone grieving the loss of Nichelle Nichols.
