Communications officer aboard the original Starship Enterprise under the
command of Captain James Kirk. Born in 2239, her name is derived from the
Swahili word for "freedom". A highly skilled technician, Uhura was also a
talented musician, and enjoyed serenading her fellow crew members with song.
Her memory was wiped clean in 2267 by the errant space probe No mad, requiring
her to be reeducated.
Following the reassignment of the original Enterprise to Starfleet Academy
in 2284, Uhura served at Starfleet Command on Earth. Uhura was scheduled
to give a seminar at the Academy in 2293, although she volunteered to return
to her old post on the Enterprise -A at Kirk's request prior to the historic
Khitomer conference.
Nichelle Nichols is secretive about her age, but she was born on December 28 in Robbins, Illinois, near Chicago. At the age of 16 she wrote a ballet for a musical suite by Duke Ellington. During her time in New York, she appeared at the famed Blue Angel and the Playboy Club. Nichols has demonstrated her ability as a performer by twice being nominated for the Sara Siddon Award as best actress of the year. She is an accomplished dancer and a beautiful singer. As a vocalist with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands, she toured the United States, Canada and Europe. On the West Coast, she appeared in "Roar of the Grease Paint, Smell of the Crowd," "For My People" and won high praise for her performance in the James Baldwin play "Blues for Mr. Charlie."
She was a relatively new face to television at the time of Star Trek in the sixties, having previously appeared only in The Lieutenant and had the lead in an episode of CBS Repertory Theater. She was Roddenberry's choice for the role of Uhura. At the end of the first season, she was seriously considering leaving the show, and stayed only because of Martin Luther King's insistence that she was a role model for blacks in America. Following the cancellation of Star Trek, Nichols' acting career has been spotty. She appeared in a few roles here and there, such as in the films Mister Budwing, Three For The Wedding, Truck Turner, Made In Paris, Porgy And Bess and Doctor, You've Got To Be Kidding. She got more work as a singer after Star Trek than she did in TV and films. She also did the voice of Uhura on the animated series, and also reprised her role in the six movies. She has written her memoirs, titled Beyond Uhura, which was published in 1994.
Mail to: Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols (mail) c/o Jim Meechan, aR-WAY Prod., 22647 Ventura B1 #121,
Woodland Hills, CA 91364 - U.S.A.
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by Mario Guatteri