As Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, she became famous on the “Starship Enterprise”, now Nichelle Nichols has died at the age of 89. She changed space travel – even outside of the series.
The US actress Nichelle Nichols, known from the cult series “Spaceship Enterprise”, has died at the age of 89.
“I regret to report that a great light in the firmament does not shine upon us as it has for so many years. Last night my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and died,” her son Kyle wrote Johnson on the website of the woman who played Communications Officer Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on “Starship Enterprise”.
Several US media also confirmed the death, citing the family environment or Nichols manager. Nichols made history in the legendary TV series “Star Trek”, as the show was originally called: The African-American woman’s 1968 kiss with her colleague William Shatner aka Captain Kirk is widely regarded as the first between a black woman and a white man in the US -TV history. Nichols was also one of the first black women to play a major role in a television series.
Shatner, 91, tweeted: “So sorry to hear about Nichelle’s death. She was a beautiful woman and played an admirable character who did so much to help solve social issues both here in the United States and around the world whole world. I will surely miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family.”
Series colleague George Takei (85) also expressed his sadness via the short message service: “I will have more to say about the groundbreaking, incomparable Nichelle Nichols,” he wrote, “but for today my heart is heavy”. In addition, Takei, who became famous as the helmsman Hikaru Sulu on the “Starship Enterprise”, published a photo with Nichols, both of whom spread their fingers in the Vulcan salute. “We lived long and prospered together,” he commented.
Nichols was also dedicated to space travel in real life: She worked with NASA to specifically recruit women and black people for astronaut training, according to a statement from the US space agency. “Celebrating the life of Nichelle Nichols,” Nasa wrote on Twitter, “who symbolized what was possible for so many (…) and inspired generations to reach for the stars.”
In a statement, the White House highlighted Nichols’ importance to the civil rights movement in the United States. She broke stereotypes by becoming the first black woman to star in a prime-time lead, it said. “As a nation, we are forever indebted to inspirational women artists like Nichelle Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity and respect are cornerstones of every society.”
Originally from Illinois, Nichols worked as an entertainer for decades and performed as a singer and dancer in Chicago as a teenager. She later made her breakthrough on television. In terms of health, she has been considered ailing for several years – in 2015 she suffered a stroke. In the same year, Nichols’ “Enterprise” colleague Leonard Nimoy, who had played the half-Vulcan “Mr. Spock”, died at the age of 83. (dpa)