Author Topic: Nichelle Nichols - RIP  (Read 2967 times)

Online Blackstar

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Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« on: 07/31/2022 08:40 pm »
https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/07/31/nichelle-nichols-uhura-star-trek-dead/

Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura in ‘Star Trek’ franchise, dies at 89

She helped break ground on TV by showing a Black woman in a position of authority and who shared with co-star William Shatner one of the first interracial kisses on American prime-time television
By Adam Bernstein
July 31, 2022 at 3:10 p.m. EDT

Nichelle Nichols, an actress whose role as the communications chief Uhura in the original “Star Trek” franchise in the 1960s helped break ground on TV by showing a Black woman in a position of authority and who shared with co-star William Shatner one of the first interracial kisses on American prime-time television, died July 30 in Silver City, N.M. She was 89.

Her son, Kyle Johnson, announced the death on Facebook. Her former agent Zachery McGinnis also confirmed the death but did not have further details. Ms. Nichols had a stroke in 2015.

Ms. Nichols, a statuesque dancer and nightclub chanteuse, had a few acting credits when she was cast in “Star Trek.” She said she viewed the TV series as a “nice steppingstone” to Broadway stardom, hardly anticipating that a low-tech science-fiction show would become a cultural touchstone and bring her enduring recognition.

“Star Trek” was barrier-breaking in many ways. While other network programs of the era offered domestic witches and talking horses, “Star Trek” delivered allegorical tales about violence, prejudice and war — the roiling social issues of the era — in the guise of a 23rd-century intergalactic adventure. The show featured Black and Asian cast members in supporting but nonetheless visible, non-stereotypical roles.

Ms. Nichols worked with series creator Gene Roddenberry, her onetime lover, to imbue Uhura with authority — a striking departure for a Black TV actress when “Star Trek” debuted on NBC in 1966. Actress Whoopi Goldberg often said that when she saw “Star Trek” as an adolescent, she screamed to her family, “Come quick, come quick. There’s a Black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!”

Offline Star One

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Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #1 on: 07/31/2022 08:43 pm »
From NASA regarding her passing.

Quote
We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars.

https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1553843225588285440

Edited to add.

Quote
We honored Nichelle Nichols' and that of the character she created with Uhura with this plaque seen in the premiere of Season 2 of Star Trek Picard.  Farewell Captain Noyta Uhura,  You embodied everything that Starfleet stood for.

https://twitter.com/DaveBlass/status/1553842102517354497

Quote
My favorite photo of Dad and Nichelle Nichols on set. The importance of Nichelle's legacy cannot be over-emphasized. She was much loved and will be missed.

https://twitter.com/adam_nimoy/status/1553847435968991232
« Last Edit: 07/31/2022 09:01 pm by Star One »

Offline tyrred

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #2 on: 07/31/2022 08:53 pm »
May she rest amongst the stars.

Offline dougkeenan

Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #3 on: 07/31/2022 09:40 pm »
Ad astra, wonderful woman.

Offline AS_501

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #4 on: 07/31/2022 09:48 pm »
Hailing frequencies closed.
Launches attended:  Apollo 11, ASTP (@KSC, not Baikonur!), STS-41G, STS-125, EFT-1, Starlink G4-24, Artemis 1
Notable Spacecraft Observed:  Echo 1, Skylab/S-II, Salyuts 6&7, Mir Core/Complete, HST, ISS Zarya/Present, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Dragon Demo-2, Starlink G4-14 (8 hrs. post-launch), Tiangong

Offline libra

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #5 on: 08/01/2022 04:16 am »
Ad astra !

Offline Eric Hedman

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #6 on: 08/01/2022 04:27 am »
RIP beautiful lady on all hailing frequencies.

Offline su27k

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #7 on: 08/29/2022 03:01 pm »
Nichelle Nichols to become latest Star Trek star to have ashes sent into space

Quote from: theguardian.com
The launch is organized by Celestis Inc, a Texas-based company that has created a unique niche in the burgeoning commercial space sector by offering a measure of cosmic immortality to customers that can afford a dramatic send-off, which contracts with private rocket ventures.

Celestis has not publicly divulged the fees and other financial details of its service.

The upcoming memorial flight will be aboard a Vulcan Centaur rocket, still under development by the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Offline Star One

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #8 on: 09/09/2022 07:46 am »
Star Trek Universe - Tribute to Nichelle Nichols:


Offline hoku

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #9 on: 05/19/2023 04:41 pm »
National Archives has a blog entry with a couple of video clips/outtakes of Nichelle Nichols visiting KSC LC-39 and in a brief training session in a Shuttle simulator with Alan Bean.

https://unwritten-record.blogs.archives.gov/2023/03/07/behind-the-scenes-at-kennedy-space-center-with-nichelle-nichols/

Offline spacediver

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #10 on: 05/20/2023 12:08 pm »
National Archives has a blog entry with a couple of video clips/outtakes of Nichelle Nichols visiting KSC LC-39 and in a brief training session in a Shuttle simulator with Alan Bean.


At the beginning of the first Video, is that Jesco von Puttkamer behind Nichelle?
According to Wikipedia he worked as a technical consultant for the first Star Trek movie in 1978.
« Last Edit: 05/20/2023 12:10 pm by spacediver »

Offline hoku

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #11 on: 05/20/2023 01:59 pm »
National Archives has a blog entry with a couple of video clips/outtakes of Nichelle Nichols visiting KSC LC-39 and in a brief training session in a Shuttle simulator with Alan Bean.


At the beginning of the first Video, is that Jesco von Puttkamer behind Nichelle?
According to Wikipedia he worked as a technical consultant for the first Star Trek movie in 1978.
Good catch! Definitely looks very much like Jesco von Puttkamer (hairstyle etc.), though the relatively low res film and the sun glasses make it difficult to be sure.

The actual NASA recruitment video seems to have been released in 1977, and only includes footage shot at JSC. The scene with Alan strapping Nichelle into the "Lower body negative pressure device" is also quite interesting.

Online Blackstar

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Re: Nichelle Nichols - RIP
« Reply #12 on: 05/20/2023 06:08 pm »
Good catch! Definitely looks very much like Jesco von Puttkamer (hairstyle etc.), though the relatively low res film and the sun glasses make it difficult to be sure.

That's him. He was the only guy in NASA who had that wild hair.

Puttkamer was a bit of a gadfly. He tended to attach himself to NASA projects having to do with Hollywood or where he could hang out with movie stars or get publicity. I know somebody who worked with him much later on and said that he was the kind of guy who just stuck his nose into projects and didn't exactly help. My suspicion is that inside NASA, a lot of people just thought he was a pain.

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