It is rare to find a character so iconic that by simply uttering their last name, everyone is on point. One such case is Uhura. Brought to vivid life on the original Star Trek series (1966-1969) by the great Nichelle Nichols who developed an engaging, multi-faceted and wholly inspiring persona at a time when African American women were portrayed as maids or in other lowly servile positions on television.
The fourth most powerful person on the USS Enterprise, Nichols was a part of a multicultural cast that was more than unusual for the era. The crew was comprised of African American, Asian American, Scottish, Russian (during The Cold War), half-alien, and white – symbolic that in the future, we, as human beings, would be able to come together to achieve something special, or as it was so aptly put: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship, Enterprise. Its five year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before”.
At the third iteration of Trekonderoga, specifically on August 26th, 2017, I sat down with Ms. Nichols, who played the role of Lt. Nyota Uhura from 1966 until 1991 – comprising the original series, The Animated Series (1973-1974) and six motion pictures. . . even after 1991, she has voiced the character in other video games (as well as her own head in Futurama), she has spent twenty five years developing the character and more than twenty-five more meeting adoring fans at conventions like Trekonderoga – further growing the legendary Lieutenant. Though she has had other memorable performances and guest spots – everything from Gene Roddenberry’s pre-Trek show The Lieutenant and the television series Heroes, to family friendly flicks like Snow Dogs and Are We There Yet?. . . she even made a cameo in Sharknado 5:Global Swarming, it is Uhura that has left an indelible mark on the annals of history.
On top of being one of the first African American women to be cast in a role other than that of a servant (on television), Nichols also shared the first interracial kiss ever (with William Shatner) to be broadcast on American television in the November 22nd, 1968 episode “Plato’s Stepchildren”. A reverberating performance that broke the stereotypical barrier and sent a powerful multicultural message; ergo, Nichols played an inspirational part in the Civil Rights Movement. When thinking about leaving the show due to the studio withholding her fan mail (and other factors), she was introduced to a big Star Trek fan – Martin Luther King Jr., who told her that she could not leave the show, staunchly stating, “You can’t. You’re part of history”.
I’d like to thank Ms. Nichols for taking the time to speak with me on a busy Saturday where she did everything possible to please her fans – humble and generous, she took the time to not only sign autographs, but posed for photos (both in the autograph room and on the Enterprise set – which is at a different building) and chat with each and every one of those who visited her. Make sure to watch the interview below to hear some great stories from the actress herself.
The always challenging question of ‘what is your favourite film?’ in a sense, stumped Ms. Nichols, as she was unwilling to select a single motion picture as being at the top of her list. What she did recommend was to select a quality actor or actors and to go watch their best dramas (her most preferred genre – though she does enjoy a good comedy every once and a while). So, take Ms. Nichols’ advice and check out an excellent, well acted drama from one of the greats – Poitier, Bogart or Gable (to name a few), it is well worth the enterprise.
P.S. The Filmizon website is set up to always have a movie or television review attached to a Star Pick, so I entered Star Trek as the series under review – which it is not. Likewise, a number value had to be set, and a 7.9 was given so as not to distort my 8-Up List feature – it does not speak to my actual thoughts on the Star Trek series or Ms. Nichols, who is clearly a 10.