Before Star Trek, her television acting experiences were largely confined to guest roles on series such as Peyton Place and Tarzan. However, one television role can often lead to another. In 1963 Nichelle Nichols had a part in a series called The Lieutenant. It was working on this project that she met Gene Roddenberry, who, three years later would cast Nichols in the best remembered role of her career: Lieutenant Nyota Uhura.
While by today's standards, Uhura may not look like much more than a telephone operator or office manager in space, the role was considered quite groundbreaking at the time. As the head communications officer, Uhura was just as educated and similarly accomplished as the rest of the crew on the bridge. Like them, she was an officer and many times in the series she demonstrated that she was a highly qualified, capable if under-utilized member of the USS Enterprise's crew. Despite her lines often getting cut to little more than "Hailing frequencies open" or "Incoming transmission", Nichols was always a professional, and always committed to her character. Co-star Leonard Nimoy in his book I Am Spock noted: "... Though she was often not given many lines... she nevertheless was totally present and made an emotional investment in whatever was happening in the scene".
Despite often being regulated to such a minor role in most episodes, she was given a few moments in the sun. The most famous being: first, in The Trouble with Tribbles, as the crew member to bring the furry critters aboard the Enterprise and second, as being one-half of the first interracial-kiss in a scripted television series in Plato's Stepchildren. While NBC execs initially feared controversy, the reception to her on-screen kiss with William Shatner was overwhelmingly positive.
After TOS wrapped in 1969, Nichols experienced the frustrations of being thought of as Uhura first and Nichelle second. Still, despite her understandable grievance with this type-casting, she never deserted the franchise or her fans and continued to appear regularly at Star Trek conventions over past several the years. Nichelle has also attended many NASA events and helped the organization to recruit women and minorities for the space program. According to Great Images in NASA (GRIN), some of her recruits include Sally Ride, and Guion Bluford.
Though Star Trek and outer space activity remain a part of her life, Nichols has been involved with a wide variety of projects over the past four decades. In 1974, she appeared in Truck Turner as the successful, fierce and foul-mouthed Madam, Dorinda. Dorinda may not be the most progressive role ever written for a Black woman, but the intensity and commitment with which she plays the character that is the very antithesis of the distinguished space officer she for which she is known is impressive. It would have been easy to reject the role entirely as another unflattering exploitation stereotype, but Nichols plays Gator's wicked woman with such a fire and flair that you don't question her decision to have accepted it.
More recently, Nichelle Nichols has done some voice work for several animated series. In addition to having recurring roles on Gargoyles and Spider Man, she also guest starred twice on highly acclaimed prime-time series, Futurama. Voicing herself on both occasions, she and most of the rest of the core cast of Star Trek: TOS appear in a full episode with Fry, Leela, and Bender for an adventure in outwitting the Trek-obsessed energy being Melllvar. This episode threw a shout-out to her and Shatner's historic on-screen kiss with the following dialog:
Nichols: Yeah! In the third season I kissed Shatner!
Other current activity includes: a recurring role the TV series Heroes in 2007, starring in and producing 2008's Lady Magdalene's and roasting William Shatner on Comedy Central (2006).
Suggestions for additional viewing and further reading:
Lady Magdalene's Offical Site, complete with trailer, photo gallery and videos.
A collection of some of Nichols' scenes from Truck Turner.
Nichelle Nichols at IMDB.com
GRIN's profile on Nichols further detailing her work with the space program.
Nichols, Nichelle (1995). Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories. New York: Boulevard Books.
