Alex Bruno
Nichelle Nichols, who starred in the famous series Star Trek, died away on Sunday at the age of 89, a spokesman for Nichols’ family revealed. Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, one of the most beloved characters in Star Trek legend and a trailblazer role in television history, was played by Nichols on the small screen.
She apparently passed away naturally. Kyle Johnson, the late mother of Nichols, posted a memorial to her on Sunday.
“My mother, Nichelle Nichols, died away last night due to natural causes,” Johnson stated. “However, her light, much like the old galaxies that are only now being observed for the very first time, will continue to exist for future generations and us to continue to appreciate, learn from, and take inspiration from.
She had a good life that should serve as an example for everyone. On December 28, 1932, a fascinating young Nichols was born in Robbins, Illinois, to a large family of 10. She began her work in showbiz as a singer and performed a number of television roles.
As the crafty communications officer for Starfleet, Nichols’ unwavering Star Trek character was a trailblazer in the history of television. Throughout the three-year run of the original program, she played Lt. Uhura, and she also portrayed the role in six major motion pictures.
The first multiracial kiss ever to appear on television was reportedly Nichols’ on-screen fling with James T. Kirk actor William Shatner. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released in 1991, featured Nichols’ last screen appearance as Uhura.
Among its devoted following of Trekkie fans, the space series continues to be a treasured one. It has long been recognized as having influenced the 1977 space opera Star Wars.
Nichols devoted herself to a position at NASA during the 1970s and the late 1980s that assisted in the development of aspirant astronauts. Asteroid 68410 Nichols was named in Nichols’ honor in 2001.
Source: OutKick
