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On Saturday, July 30, Star Trek: The Original series star Nichelle Nichols passed away at the age of 89. The late actress was best known for her portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura in the original TV series and later in the first six films based on the same continuity.
It was reported that Nichols "succumbed to natural causes" on Saturday night, as per her son Kyle Johnson via a Facebook statement. Following the reports of her demise, the White House released a statement from President Joe Biden, who said:
"In Nichelle Nichols, our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women."
The actress had indeed been a trailblazer with the role of Lt. Uhura, as the character became one of the first authoritative figures in live-action portrayed by a black woman. According to NASA, the character was also one of the first leading recurring roles for Black female characters on US TV. Meanwhile, Nichols was hired by NASA to be a public advocate and encourage women of color, especially Black women, to join the organization as astronauts.
The legacy left by late Nichelle Nichols: Exploring her iconic filmography
Nichelle Nichols had an extensive career in Hollywood for around six decades since her foray into the industry in 1959. For her first role (uncredited), she portrayed a dancer in the 1959 musical Porgy and Bess. The actress received her first credited role in the 1964 TV movie Great Gettin' Up Mornin', where she portrayed Joanne Logan. After appearing in a few brief roles in TV series till the mid-1960s, Nichols was cast in her career-defining role of Uhura in the original Star Trek TV series in 1966. She played the character in 69 episodes throughout the span of three years.
In 1973, Nichelle Nichols agreed to voice Uhura along with multiple characters in the Star Trek: The Animated Series. Six years later, she reprised the role of the Starfleet USS Enterprise communication officer Nyota Uhura in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and later also appeared in 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1984's Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Furthermore, she reprised the character in 1989's Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and also in 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Following her last role in the sixth film of the original series, Nichols agreed to voice Uhura in multiple video games. Later in 2007, she appeared as Nana Dawson in 2007's NBC series, Heroes. The late actress's last released film was 2021's 12 to Midnight, with another project titled, Renegades: Ominara, which is expected to be released soon.
Confusion over whether Nichelle Nichols portrayed Blind Al in the Deadpool series
Throughout her career, Nichols has worked on over 67 projects, which garnered her The Life Career Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA for the role of Uhura. Meanwhile, the actress also won the 1999 Millennium Award at Golden Camera, Germany for her work in 1966's Star Trek.
However, since 2016, there has been a seeming confusion over whether the actress portrayed the character of Blind Al in Deadpool 1 and 2. Multiple viewers reportedly assumed the role to have been played by Nichelle Nichols instead of the original actress, Leslie Uggams.
While both actresses shared some resemblance, Leslie Uggams (79) is a decade younger than the late Nichols (89). Coincidentally, the film had Deadpool refer to the character as Ronnie Milsap, Robin (DC Comics), Mrs. Magoo, and Matthew McConaughey. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming third installment will refer to Nichelle Nichols' resemblance with Leslie Uggams.
