Star Trek Cast: Where Are They Now?
12. Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney, born Mary Ann Chase, appeared in eight of the first fifteen episodes of Star Trek. Yeomen Janice Rand was effectively the captain's assistant, though in that time she managed to shine, even if it was only briefly.
Her contract was terminated after an unnamed producer on the show sexually assaulted her and she found employment difficult to come by for a few years. She later credited Leonard Nimoy as a source of support during this time.
DeForest Kelley later discovered that she was struggling for work and convinced her to return to the franchise, telling her that fans had been asking for her at the conventions. She returned for The Motion Picture, The Search For Spock, The Voyage Home and The Undiscovered Country, along with the Voyager episode Flashback.
She was also a highly talented singer, having opened concerts for Billie Holiday and Buddy Rich, long before joining Star Trek. She released several albums and also appeared in Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot, as one of the girls in the band.
She had struggled with addiction through her life but managed to overcome it, relating to her sons that she would prefer to be remembered as a survivor of addiction, rather than as a Star Trek actor.
She passed away in 2015, of natural causes.