With this role, the actress made history several times: Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura in “Star Trek” Photo: picture alliance/United Archives
From the BZ editorial team
“Star Trek” star Nichelle Nichols passed away on Saturday at the age of 89, according to media reports. Nichols’ son Kylie Johnson announced the sad news on Sunday.
On Instagram, Johnson wrote about a photo showing his famous mother’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: “Friends, fans, colleagues, world. I am sorry to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us. Last night my mother died of natural causes. However, their light will remain with us, like the ancient galaxies we are now seeing for the first time, for generations to come to learn from and be inspired by.”
She had a fulfilled life and was “a role model for all of us”. The funeral will take place in the closest family circle.
Actress Nichelle Nicols 2019 Photo: picture alliance / Everett Collection
As Lieutenant Uhura, Nichelle Nichols wrote film history: In the TV series “Star Trek” she played one of the first black women in a leadership position.
Even more: Nichols was the first black woman to kiss a white man on US television in 1968 with William Shatner (91) as Captain Kirk. The scene caused a scandal.
Nichelle Nichols, who later released several jazz albums, starred in more Star Trek movies after the series ended. She was also seen in the TV series “Heroes” and in the TV movie “Sharknado 5: Global Swarming”. In the comic series “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” she was heard as a guest speaker.
The actress also worked for the US space agency NASA, where she was responsible for recruiting young astronauts.
