Star Trek Cast: Where Are They Now?
4. Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols broke several boundaries for black women when she was cast in the role of Uhura in the Original series, depicting a highly confident and capable officer on the bridge of the Enterprise, who just was equal to the officers around her.
She considered leaving the show before the end of the first season before a fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. convinced her to stay, citing the importance of her role to black culture.
After Star Trek, she was very involved with NASA, helping to recruit more female astronauts to the service. She was present at the christening of the Space Shuttle Enterprise as well, along with several other Original series cast members.
She remained active for many years, appearing as Uhura in several fan productions. In her personal life, she lost her brother Thomas in 1997. He was a member of the Heaven's Gate cult, who died in mass suicide to coincide with the passing of the Hale-Bopp Comet. She has one son, Kyle.
Her health has deteriorated in recent years and she was diagnosed with dementia in 2018. She has now retired from public appearances.
She was, along with her succesful acting career, a highly talented singer. She released two musical albums, Down To Earth and Out Of This World. She sang on the show in Charlie X and The Conscience of the King, before also appearing in the famous fan dance scene in Star Trek V.