'Trailblazing' actress who played Lt Uhura in Star Trek dies
msn.comActor Nichelle Nichols, who found worldwide fame and led the way for black women in TV by starring in the original Star Trek TV series, has died. Her son, Kyle Johnson, said she died on Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.
She was 89. Her role in the 1966-69 series as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura earned Nichols great respect from the show's hardcore fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies.
It also earned her accolades for breaking racial stereotypes and included an interracial onscreen kiss with co-star William Shatner that was unheard of at the time. "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away," Kyle wrote on her Facebook page. "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. "Hers was a life well lived, and as such a model for us all. "Star Trek co-star George Takei 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, and who passed today at age 89. "For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend. "NASA recruiterLike other original cast members, Nichols also appeared in six big-screen spinoffs starting in 1979 with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and frequented Star Trek fan conventions.
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