Nichelle Nichols was an American actress, singer and dancer whose portrayal of Uhura in Star Trek and its film sequels was groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs and recruit diverse astronauts, including some of the first female and ethnic minority astronauts.
Nichols in 1979
Nichols as Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek, 1967
Nichols in 2012
Nichols (fourth from the left) with most of the cast of Star Trek visiting the Space Shuttle Enterprise at the Rockwell International plant at Palmdale, California, U.S., 1976
Nyota Uhura, or simply Uhura, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. In the original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six Star Trek feature films. A younger Uhura is portrayed by Celia Rose Gooding in the 2022 prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, while an alternate timeline version of Uhura has been portrayed by actress Zoe Saldaña in the feature films Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016).
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura on the set of Star Trek: The Original Series
Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in a Star Trek promotional image, 1967
Zoe Saldana as Uhura in the 2009 film Star Trek.
Nichols (pictured) planned to leave Star Trek in 1967 after its first season, but changed her mind after talking to Martin Luther King Jr., who explained that her character signified a future of greater racial harmony and cooperation
