Star Trek icon Nichelle Nichols dies at 89

Nichelle Nichols, who played the trailblazing Lt. Uhura in Star Trek: The Original Series and six Star Trek movies, has died aged 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson announced the actor’s death on Instagram. He wrote, "I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years. Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration. Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all."

Other tributes have flooded in from the world of Star Trek and beyond. 

"I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend," George Takei, who played Sulu on the Original Series, wrote on Twitter.

William Shatner said on Twitter, "I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle. She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family."

In a statement, US president Joe Biden said, "In Nichelle Nichols, our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women."

Politician Stacy Abrams, who recently had a cameo role in Star Trek: Discovery, shared a picture of herself with Nichols. She wrote: “One of my most treasured photos - Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many. May she forever dwell among the stars.”

Wonder Woman actor Lynda Carter also joined the wave of tributes on social media. "Many actors become stars, but few stars can move a nation. Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. Thank you, Nichelle. We will miss you."

Nichols’ role as Uhura was one of the first prominent Black characters on American television. Her 1968 kiss with William Shatner’s Captain Kirk on an episode of Star Trek also made history as one of the first interracial kisses aired on television. Nichols later appeared in Heroes and lent her voice to roles in Gargoyles and Batman: The Animated Series.