Star Trek Cast: Where Are They Now?
8. Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett is widely recognized as the First Lady of Star Trek. She was of course married to Gene Roddenberry, though she may best be remembered for her portrayals of both Christine Chapel and Lwaxana Troi. She also appeared as Number One in The Cage, making her, along with Leonard Nimoy, one of the longest serving actors in the franchise.
She voiced the Federation's computers from the Original Series up until her death in 2008. She provided her voice in the JJ Abrams reboot of Star Trek, released in 2009.
Before Star Trek, she had appeared in several films in small parts and received acting training from Lucille Ball, widely regarded as the grandmother of Star Trek, as it was Desilu Studios that gave Star Trek the greenlight.
After Star Trek, she would most widely be recognized for her Trek work, but she also appeared in several parts here and there, including one appearance in Babylon 5 (as a gesture of goodwill between the two rival franchises). Her voice work as the computer for Star Trek is widely seen as the inspiration for Amazon Alexa, something confirmed by designer Toni Reid.
She also voiced the Southern Pacific Railroad systems for years, something that actually almost replaced her Star Trek fame in the later years of her life.
She passed away in 2008 from leukemia, at 76 years of age.