NICHELLE NICHOLS

 

 

(March 1997) Her younger brother Thomas commited suicide with the cult members in Rancho Santa Fe, near San Diego.

Fed up with the racist harrasment, culminating with her learning that the studio was withholding her fan mail, she submitted her resignation. She withdrew it when Martin Luther King personally convinced her that her role was too important as a breakthrough to leave.

Her role as Uhura on Star Trek was the first time that an African American actress was portrayed in a non-stereotypical role. Previously, African American female actresses were depicted as maids or housekeepers, and Nichols' role broke the stereotype barrier among African American actresses. Like Sidney Poitier, whom his characters were one-dimensional (e.g. Det. Virgil Tibbs), Nichols portrayed a character that was non-stereotypical.

Although ignored in the "famous actors/actresses" in African American cinema, including "famous celebrities" during Black History Month, Nichols was one of the first actresses that portrayed a character on a TV show and science fiction series that was treated fairly like other races, and to all of Star Trek fans, the TV series and films that followed set the standard for multiculturalism (where people of different races, ethnicities, and gender are integrated and a sense of equality coexist).

Former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison was inspired by Nichols when she decided to become the first African American female astronaut. Jemison was a fan of the original "Star Trek" (1966).

During the late 1970s until ?1987, Nichelle Nichols was employed by NASA and was in charge of astronaut recruits and hopefuls. Most of the recruits that she launched were minority candidates of different races and/or ethnicities, as well as gender, like Guion Bluford (the first African American male astronaut), Sally Ride (the first female astronaut), Judith Resnick (one of the original female astronauts recruited by NASA, who perished during the launch of the Challenger on January 28, 1986), and Ronald McNair (another victim of the Challenger disaster). She lived in Houston, Texas during her years as a Johnson Space Center employee.

With "Star Trek" co-star William Shatner, she shared the first interracial kiss on television. This resulted in a deluge of mail - 99% of which was positive.

 

 

Actress - filmography
(2000s) (1990s) (1980s) (1970s) (1960s) (1950s)

  1. Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (2002) (TV) .... Herself
  2. Snow Dogs (2002) .... Amelia

  3. Moonshot - the Spirit of 69 (1999) (TV) .... Herself
  4. Gargoyles: Brothers Betrayed (1998) (V) (voice) .... Diane Maza
  5. Trekkies (1997) .... Herself
  6. Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond (1996) (TV) .... Herself
  7. Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space, The (1995) (TV) .... Sagan
  8. Last Angel of History (1995) (TV) .... Herself
    ... aka Letzte Engel der Geschichte, Der (1995) (TV) (Germany)
  9. William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995) (V) .... Herself
  10. Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1994) (VG) (voice) .... Lieutenant Uhura
  11. "Spider-Man" (1993) TV Series (voice) .... Miriam the Vampire Queen
  12. Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special (1991) (TV) .... Herself
  13. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) .... Commander Nyota Uhura

  14. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) .... Commander Nyota Uhura
  15. Supernaturals, The (1986) .... Sergeant Leona Hawkins
  16. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) .... Commander Nyota Uhura
    ... aka Voyage Home: Star Trek IV, The (1986)
  17. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) .... Commander Nyota Uhura
  18. Antony and Cleopatra (1983) (V) .... Charmain
    ... aka Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra, The (1983) (V)
  19. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) .... Commander Nyota Uhura
    ... aka Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) (new title)

  20. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) .... Lt. Cmdr. Uhura
    ... aka Star Trek: The Motion Piction: The Director's Edition (2001) (USA: DVD title)
  21. Truck Turner (1974) .... Dorinda
    ... aka Black Bullet (1974)
  22. "Star Trek" (1973) TV Series (voice) .... Uhura/Additional Voices
    ... aka "Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, The" (1973) (USA: video box title)
    ... aka "Star Trek: TAS" (1973) (USA: promotional abbreviation)
    ... aka "Star Trek: The Animated Adventures" (1973) (USA)
    ... aka "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (1973)
  23. Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) (TV) .... Lisa Downey
  24. Tarzan's Deadly Silence (1970) .... Ruana

  25. Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding (1967) .... Jenny Ribbock
  26. "Star Trek" (1966) TV Series .... Lt. Uhura
    ... aka "Star Trek: TOS" (1966) (USA: promotional abbreviation)
  27. Made in Paris (1966) (uncredited)
  28. Mister Buddwing (1965) .... Dice Player
    ... aka Woman Without a Face (1965)

  29. Porgy and Bess (1959) (uncredited) .... Bit Part

  30. Star Trek: Original Series Vol. 05 (????) (TV) .... Lt. Uhura
  31. Star Trek: Original Series Vol. 06 (????) (TV) .... Uhura

 

Filmography as: Actress, Notable TV guest appearances

 

Notable TV guest appearances

  1. "Futurama" (1999) playing "Lieutenant Nyota Uhura"(voice) in episode: "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" (episode # 4.12) 4/21/2002
  2. "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" (2000) playing "Chief"(voice) in episode: "Yukari Imprint, The" 11/7/2000
  3. "Futurama" (1999) playing "Herself"(voice) in episode: "Anthology of Interest I" (episode # 2.20) 5/21/2000
  4. "G vs E" (1999) playing "Henry's Mother" in episode: "Renunciation" (episode # 2.2) 3/10/2000
  5. "Spider-Man" (1993) playing "Miriam the Vampire Queen"(voice) in episode: "Secret Wars, Chapter 2: The Gauntlet of the Red Skull" (episode # 5.10) 11/14/1997
  6. "Spider-Man" (1993) playing "Miriam the Vampire Queen"(voice) in episode: "Partners in Danger: Part 7: The Vampire Queen" (episode # 4.07) 5/17/1997
  7. "Gargoyles" (1994) playing "Diane Maza"(voice) in episode: "Mark of the Panther" (episode # 2.47) 2/8/1996
  8. "Gargoyles" (1994) playing "Diane Maza"(voice) in episode: "Cage, The" (episode # 2.19) 11/16/1995
  9. "Gargoyles" (1994) playing "Diane Maza"(voice) in episode: "Deadly Force" (episode # 1.8) 11/18/1994
  10. "Batman: The Animated Series" (1992) playing "Thoth Khepera" in episode: "Avatar" (episode # 1.68) 5/9/1994
  11. "Gargoyles" (1994) playing "Diane Maza"(voice) in episode: "Her Brother's Keeper" (episode # 1.12)
  12. "Head of the Class" (1986) playing "Herself"
  13. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Dr. Sarah April"(voice) in episode: "Counter-Clock Incident, The" (episode # 2.6) 10/12/1974
  14. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Karla Five"(voice) in episode: "Counter-Clock Incident, The" (episode # 2.6) 10/12/1974
  15. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Devna"(voice) in episode: "Time Trap, The" (episode # 1.12) 11/24/1973
  16. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Magen"(voice) in episode: "Time Trap, The" (episode # 1.12) 11/24/1973
  17. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Mess Officer Briel"(voice) in episode: "Terratin Incident, The" (episode # 1.11) 11/17/1973
  18. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Female Ursinoid miner"(voice) in episode: "Mudd's Passion" (episode # 1.10) 11/10/1973
  19. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Alice"(voice) in episode: "Once Upon a Planet" (episode # 1.9) 11/3/1973
  20. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Computer Voice"(voice) in episode: "Infinite Vulcan, The" (episode # 1.7) 10/20/1973
  21. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Lt. Ann Nored"(voice) in episode: "Survivor, The" (episode # 1.6) 10/13/1973
  22. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Dara"(voice) in episode: "Lorelei Signal, The" (episode # 1.4) 9/29/1973
  23. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Computer Voice"(voice) in episode: "Lorelei Signal, The" (episode # 1.4) 9/29/1973
  24. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Security Officer Davison"(voice) in episode: "Lorelei Signal, The" (episode # 1.4) 9/29/1973
  25. "Star Trek" (1973) playing "Alien Entity"(voice) in episode: "Bem" (episode # 2.2) 9/14/1973
  26. "Ironside" (1967) in episode: "Deadly Gamesmen, The" (episode # 6.10) 11/30/1972
  27. "Tarzan" (1966) in episode: "Deadly Silence, Part One, The" (episode # 1.8) 1966
  28. "Lieutenant, The" (1963) playing "Norma Bartlett" in episode: "To Set it Right" 1963

 

 

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