Nichelle Nichols Talks Kirk Kiss, Roddenberry Relationship & New Film ‘The Torturer’

The original Uhura, Nichelle Nichols stars in a new impendent film, The Torturer. The actress talked about that film as well as Star Trek’s interracial kiss, her relationship with Gene Roddenberry and more. You can listen to the interview for more and see a trailer for the movie.  Plus we have an update and the trailer for Cabonauts, the upcoming webshow starring Nichols.    


 

Nichols interview
Nichelle was interviewed by the webshow The Young Turks.

Nichols in ‘The Torturer’
The Torturer is a politically charged DVD movie about a military interrogator who returns from Iraq with post-traumatic stress syndrome. Nichols plays his psychologist.

Here is a trailer

The Torturer is released October 20th. You can pick it up at various retailers, including Amazon, or rent in, including Netflix. More info at thetorturermovie.com.

Cabonauts with Nichols coming early 2010
As we reported in July, Nichelle Nichols will be appearing in the web series Cabonauts, a sci-fi musical comedy revolving around a futuristic cab company. Nichols plays the owner of the company. Show producer Hayden Black tells TrekMovie the show will now premiere (at DailyMotion) in early 2010.

 

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Nichelle Nichols, is a great actress and a great person.

She is a Star Trek Great!!!

I watched “Arena” on YouTube last night. She’s still one of the hottest actresses of all time. And talented too, thankfully.

Zoe Saldana is a good actress but I don’t like these super skinny girls they put in movies these days.

Hey. Nichelle is still a beautifull Woman and a classy Lady.

A wonderful, classy, talented woman. Having met her at a Vegas ST CON, she showed how she cares about the fans. A true legend and she will always have the highest place in our hearts.

I hope to meet her on Saturday at Big Apple Con!

Nichele Nichols us not only atalented accomplishment actress, but a couragous lady and role model fromm the 60s to now. She has in so many wonderful ways has gone where no woman has gone before! God bless you Nichele you truely embody trek! At least for us women. Keep on blazing trails. A lot are following you more then you will ever know let alone inspire.

Nichelle is one whom has gained about as much stardom as the Show she help launch. Unlike how others like the Captain who seems to have had many battles in his climbing the ladder. It’s good that she has been gaining roles lately. I hate to say it that she like all of us one day will be, are in the last 1/3rd of you her beautiful life. Some TOS Star Trek members have left us with their visual presence. Hopefully all their public memory’s will carry on far after we reach the 23rd Century. May I hope and bless Nichelle that all the roles she has dreamed of will find her grases before she ends up having to only give us visual memory’s.

The best I can say about the Apple Convict meeting is at least they moved from the 6502 and 68000 to the x86 line od better CPU’s. Even though I started on a 6502 but made by Atari the lead founder of Video Games for Home.

A question,

I recall in some movie (either Paramount or fan made) the Lt. Uhura became Capt. Uhura, but can not recall what one is is.

I know some one will tell me and in the process let us all know. I think she had a similar ship to the type Khan toke over, and what star ship class is the Reliant type ship, I know I can find it at Memory Alpha in the LCAR’s database, but I’m to lazy to search. I’d say busy working but I know most will say wrong really he means lazy. So I bet you to it.

Thank you to whom ever informs me.

I’m as guilty as the next, but… WHY does everything boil down to who boinked who?

Ah well… since we’re there… Nichelle, what kind of a kisser is Billy?

In all seriousness, I had the honor of having Nichelle on a morning show I produced years ago in Atlanta. She is a class act and a natural role model. I broke a rule and not only got her autograph, but a picture with her… which I still have.

#9

I have no memory of this.

#9 Your thinking of the fan movie Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. It takes place after Generations.

http://startrekofgodsandmen.com/main/

I don’t mean this as a slam on anyone, honestly, but I’ve noticed that whenever there’s a story about one of the original TOS actors (well, not all of them, but most) the resulting comments are about what a great, classy, wonderful, smart, etc. person said actor is.

So many of you talk about these people like you know them. Do that many of you actually know these people?

Honestly, I’m just curious…I really want to know.

re: #13. richpit — I can tell you that I’ve been to so many conventions and met so many of the actors that many of them actually remember me by name. So getting to know the actors on a more personal level is very possible.

Holy crap that show is laaaaaaaaaame. She deserves better

#9 – I think Erk is correct. Uhura is shown as a captain in that film. Also, in the novel _Vulcan’s Forge_, she’s recommended to succeed Spock as CO of the USS Intrepid II, when he decides to leave StarFleet and go into the diplomatic service.

re: #13 richpit – I have known Nichelle personally for 30 years. She is as she seems – a great, classy, wonderful, smart woman. That’s not an act – that’s who she is.

#13: Many of us have enjoyed the privilege of meeting them time and again at conventions, and in some cases having spent a lot of time in conversation with them or (as con staff) working as their assistants, etc. That’s a big part of how fandom has always worked.

That said, it seems odd to conflate complimenting someone’s intelligence, or kindness or “classiness” with “talking as if we know them,” since recognizing qualities like that hardly requires some kind of long-term deep friendship. Smart, gracious, friendly people are generally easy to spot in a room … and Nichelle Nichols glows with all of it; she’s extraordinary.

As for knowing TOS personal in prson, I’ve met Lrnard Nimoy in person, twice, totaling about 7 minutes of talk time, I’ve shaken Shatner’s hand, And met Grace Whitney (Janis Rand), But all have been at conventions. Also at Conventions met and talked to Buck & Wilma of Buck Rodgers of the 25th Century, I explained to them how Warp Drive works and in plain English and they said they understood it and can thus tell others. But after that I had no idea how to explain Sub Space Communications

And a friend of mine, born the day before me, his uncle played a Klingon in STM 6: Undiscovered Country, He has been over to my house a few times, and I’ve fixed his laptop (it’s Win95 Registry file got so polluted it needed cleaned), and went to a public event with one of the writers for TNG about TNG, I was back in my wheelchair in 1993 because of a new head injury, this was 9 months after I taught myself how to walk, and they said when I left Graig Hospital I may never walk again due to my brain being exposed and damaged.

It turned out I knew more Star Trek TOS data than he did, got to the point if he had trouble on a question he’d ask me. That went on for 3 hours. I can not recall his name but he gave me the stage script of one of his episodes he authored. And gave me 2 tickets to the upcomming Star Trek, The Experiance Museum Tour due to Arrive in 5 months that he was an advisor for. He worked for Paramount and had only three face to face meetings with The Great Bird of the Galaxy. The one he talked about was when Nimoy was on TNG and the topic was Romulan life on their home planet.

I was suprised that I knew so much about TOS but I’d watched it every day since the Fall of 1975 when it Started Replay on a local Denver NBC station but in a year moved to KWGN and played there until 1993 when TNG replaced it and only showed on weekends.

And by the way Lenard listened to me tell him about how I used logic and was inspired by his actions on Star Trek in my recovery from near death from a DUI driver to walking (with a cane) and talking with a reasonable IQ level. He had always gone by the sterotype of people that badly injured were lucky to as he said add 2 +2 and turn on a light switch or change TV channels.

I also sent his promotion office a 5 page letter explaining how a persons persona brain memory matrix gets lost in Head Injury cases and how I regained mine and kind of returned to normality in the real world. I also sent a copy to Presidential Candidate Ross Perot along with a 16 page letter on how a child’s brain develops, In 1994 MR. Perot started talking much about how we need to help infants brains develop into a smarter person than we are.

But both those topics are way off in interstellar space from what this web site is based on. And could bore you more than this essay does.

And I was going to meet Nichelle at a StarCon Convention in Denver one year (forget the year) but a Snow Storm changed her arrival appointment. That is bad luck of Colorado Weather from all the glowing admeration that many here have been expressing.

She must have a well built head on her shoulders to be able to climb out of the hole that hindered her race back in the 50’s and 60’s. And she must understand things well to know how to be a #1 type personality, with out always telling everyone your number #1 like other Canadian actors that stared with her in TOS.

Thanks very much #12) Erk, I knew it was a recent movie, since I have a disk from the 3 parts and bought the Retail disk also. Been doing to many things lately to watch it many time and have it burned into my memory.

The least used, but probably the greatest asset TOS had!!! that was not a SHAT pun!!!
and remember the scene in TREK5….that feather dance in the desert!
whoooo….what gams!!!!

#13 I got to meet Nichelle at a convention in Richmond Va (where star trek conventions are rare nowadays). She was so warm and approachable. She trully loves her fans and lets you know she appreciates you. I wouldn’t trade my autographed photo for anything.

She’s an amazing lady who can return a roomful of fans’ love and respect and make it seem personal to each member of the crowd. If you ever get the chance to talk to her in person, be ready to be overwhelmed with her charisma. She’s still can knock your socks off!

That is one sexy senior citizen.

to # 13

Yes, fans do get to meet the stars and after you attend several CONs, you will know the stars. They will come to know you too, believe it or not. She is always very kind to her fans and really respects them, that is the feely I have taken away each time I have seen her and spoke to her however briefly that may be, sad to say. What makes fans say that TOS stars are classy, etc. Is due in part to their age (no offense, stars) and the fact that they have been around the block. They know that it is us fans who bring them their celebrity status. Some of todays younger actor/actresses have no concept of the fan relationship. All they think about is a paycheck and want to be left alone. While I will always respect their privacy on the street unlike the papparazzi who hunt them down, actors who attend a CON interact with the fans an a level not normally seen by others.

Nichelle Nichols will always be my first love…alright, crush. As a young boy watching Star Trek reruns I fell in love with Lt. Uhura, and my feelings have never changed. Every time I see her photo, or in movies or interviews my know mid 40’s heart is still sent all aflutter!

Thanks so much Nichelle for the years of entertainment, and for being my first love!

Live long and prosper and boldly go!

to 13: Richpit

I have personally met with and worked with or for: Nimoy, Shatner, Majel, and Bjo. They were or are very nice people. Shatner is exactly who he seems, well meaning and absent minded. Nimoy is much shrewder, he is a very private person who protects his image. Majel was rowdy and full of life and Bjo was sweet and very much in love with Star Trek. They were the best part of the 1980’s for me.

I envy all of you that have gotten to know icons like nichelle thru fandom and working with em-in 2006 nichelle spoke out about our current political problems then and a heckler disagreed with her-she left the stage upset for five min or so while takei and koenig spoke then she came back n they sang god bless america-later at a pic session with them i had a few seconds so i tapped nichelle on the shoulder and thanked her for speaking out and caring and that we all loved her-she turned to me and said thank you and she seemed moved-my only con that was vegas 06–i dont have her autograph but i do have a nice memory of that one brief encounter with this smart beautiful woman-wish her continued success n happiness-she is very special

Thank you for all you responses to my question. I honestly was not aware that there was a time when you could really converse with a star at a con. I’ve heard the stories about the early cons…in the 70’s and early 80’s, but I wasn’t involved at that point.

Just to clarify, my question was not meant as any offense to anyone, nor to cast doubt that anyone knows someone they say the know. I was just always surprised at how many folks here seem to have personal knowledge of the stars personalities.

Thanks!

I got to meet Robert Picardo and Casey Biggs at a recent Con over here in the UK. Both were great guys and fun to talk to. Got my photo’s with both of them for free!

I would also like to say that David Prowse (THE Darth Vader – at least in Body) is amazing. He’s suffering from many many problems and yet remains funny and happy. He also offered to sell me his mercedes…the only two owners are him and Kenny Baker…so it’s been owned by R2D2 and Darth Vader :)

A shame that richman has few cons. I guess pat robertson threated to burn trekkies to the stake LOL!

Torturer looks bad.

Why hasn’t Nichelle ever been able to get any real jobs since Star Trek.

I met Nichelle at a small convention in Melbourne Australia- she was kind enough to pose for photos with me & my most show acurate Tribble who I then named Nichelle.
She was polite, generous & classsy all the way, I’m know her minder for the trip who can confirm this is who she is on stage & behind the scenes.
I wish this site had a place for fan/actor photos- lol