Nichelle Nichols was one of 10 children born to parents Lishia and Samuel Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She was a singer and dancer before turning to acting and finding fame in her groundbreaking role of Lt. Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek (1966) series.
Her mother, Lishia Mae (Parks) Nichols, was a homemaker. As a child, Nichols' family moved to Chicago where she studied dance at the Chicago Ballet. During the late 1940s, Nichols was discovered by jazz legend Duke Ellington and toured with both Ellington and Lionel Hampton as a lead singer and dancer.
Uhura, from the United States of Africa, speaks Swahili and was born on January 19, 2233. James Blish's non-canon novels identify her as Bantu, as does Gene Roddenberry's novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
But Uhura, whose name comes from a Swahili word meaning “freedom,” was essential beyond the interracial kiss: A capable officer who could man other stations on the bridge when the need arose, she was one of the first African American women to be featured in a non-menial role on television. Nichols played Lt.
What are some interesting facts about Nichelle Nichols?
In 1991, Nichols became the first African American to place her handprints and signature in the concrete outside Mann's (Graumans) Chinese Theater. Just a few short weeks later, in January 1992, Nichols was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As a communications officer, Uhura is most commonly seen in a red uniform. However, in her first two episodes on the show, “The Corbomite Maneuver” and “Mudd's Women”, her uniform was yellow. For some reason Uhura was transferred from the command division to the operations division.
Kyle Johnson (born August 14, 1951) is an American actor, most notable for his performance in the 1969 film The Learning Tree. He is the son of actress Nichelle Nichols and her husband Foster Johnson.
However, after the destruction of Vulcan, we see Uhura comfort Spock in the elevator, confirming that they are actually in a relationship. Later, through the film, though she never stands up for him during a conflict she is shown to go after him several times when he is in emotional turmoil.
Later that year, Uhura permanently transferred to the operations division. As shown in the picture to the right, Uhura initially wore the gold command uniform in "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "Mudd's Women". Thereafter, she was outfitted in the more familiar red uniform of engineering and support services.
Mini Bio. Nichelle Nichols was one of 10 children born to parents Lishia and Samuel Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She was a singer and dancer before turning to acting and finding fame in her groundbreaking role of Lt. Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek (1966) series.
At one point during negotiations, the idea was brought up of having Spock kiss Uhura instead (as Spock was half Vulcan), but William Shatner insisted that they stick with the original script. NBC finally ordered that two versions of the scene be shot—one in which Kirk and Uhura kissed and one in which they did not.
By 2263, Uhura and Spock experienced a time-out in their relationship as a consequence of Spock's increasing beliefs that he ought to be helping his people rebuild on New Vulcan, and thus leave Starflee.
Language is a thing that must be studied and practiced for fluency. In fairness to Nichols' Uhura, the past decade or so of her service involved more shooting at Klingons than talking to them. Her skill and genius was not diminished for being a little more than rusty, especially in a high-pressure situation.
Did Nichelle Nichols have the first interracial kiss?
On a 1968 episode of “Star Trek,” Nichelle Nichols, playing Lt. Uhura, locked lips with William Shatner's Capt. Kirk in what's widely thought to be first kiss between a Black woman and white man on American television.
Jemison grew up watching the Apollo airings on TV, but she was often upset that there were no female astronauts. However, Jemison was inspired by African American actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lieutenant Uhura on the Star Trek television show. Jemison was determined to one day travel in space.
I auditioned like this and they loved it. So it was never a conversation.” However, she did indicate they did approach her about a wig, but she turned it down, “It was approached—like they asked me would I want to wear a wig? And my answer was, 'Absolutely not.
"I came out of musical theater and expected to make my name on Broadway," Nichols said. "Then along came Star Trek. After one season, I told Gene Roddenberry that I was going to leave simply as a career choice. "Then I happened to go to a NAACP fundraiser and met Dr.
As Spock explained to Kirk in Star Trek: TOS, his union with T'Pring was "less than a marriage but more than a bethrothal." Indeed, Spock was meant to finally undergo the koon-ut-kal-if-fee marriage ritual with T'Pring in "Amok Time" before she invoked her right to have Spock fight to the death for her.
On Star Trek, Nichols was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series. Her prominent supporting role as a bridge officer was unprecedented. She was once tempted to leave the series; however, a conversation with Martin Luther King Jr. changed her mind.
Who encouraged Nichelle Nichols to stay on Star Trek?
Back in 2010, during an interview with StarTrek.com, Nichols recounted how Dr. King inspired her and how she'd inspired him and his family, and why she chose to heed his personal request to remain with Star Trek: The Original Series.
