On Cinema Blend’s Weekly Blend Audio Show Nichelle Nichols offered some advice for the actress who will be playing Uhura in the new Star Trek movie (which we now know will be Zoe Saldana). The original Uhura wants the new actress to remember the character’s background, pointing to her African roots and ambition. But Nichols also noted Uhura was grounded, saying "she’s down to earth, sings, is funny but she’s no nonsense." Nichols feels that the Original Series characters were not heroes, only people who make moral choices who believe that the edict "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination is what makes the universe beautiful. Then we go forth in peaceful exploration, where no man or woman has gone before. Take that to heart and then be yourself." She also believes that message is still poignant today, "maybe even more so than ever." Nichols also discusses her roles in the film Lady Magdalene‘s and her upcoming role on Heroes in the interview, which you can find at Cinema Blend.
NIchelle rocks, briefly met her at the comic con at the Shrine in Los Angeles. She is a class act. And still lookin’ good.
Second!
Lost: My autographed photo of Nichelle. :(
Nichelle, you remember me?
Fat guy, Federation Trading Post, Berkeley, circa ’76?
and best of luck to Zoe…you got some big shoes to fill. And it wouldn’t hurt if you had a huge feathered fan to dance with…really…it wouldn’t.
Nichelle Nichols is and always has been such a powerful speaker. I have been so fortunate to have seen her a couple of times at different speaking engagements and every time she just commands attention and respect. I have the highest level of respect for her.
Aaron R.
I really think it’s kinda sad that Nichelle Nichols is the only original Trek actor that never had a role in any of the spin-offs and sequels.
Always liked her and always thought very high of her. Totally looking forward to see her on Heroes, though.
You know, I agree. I hope maybe she will come aboard a future new voyages or something. Although I think they may be running out of ways to justify their characters aging into the guest star roles.
I like her comment on the TOS characters not being heroes. The way they were written made them more human characters than the following series, with DS9 being the closest in the the depth that the characters were written.
They just seemed like a group of people who were assigned to this ship and were out doing their jobs which they seemed to enjoy and came across some crazy s@*t out there in space.
Out of all of Trek, they are the characters I would most like to hang around with, but not with a red shirt on!
Nichols may not have appeard on New Voyages, but she did reprise her role as Uhura on the much hyped (but never released) Star Trek: Of Gods And Men last year, hopefully Tim Russ will find a way to get that film out to the fans before the year ends
#2: Yeah, THAT narrows it down. LOL
I hope Zoe is good, but NOBODY could ever replace Nichelle or be as good, or good-lookin’. She had the body, the face, the voice and the moves.
I love her.
I wonder if Uhura will have a thing for Spock in the movie, like she seemed to early in the series…
re #11- Are you sure you’re not confusing Uhura for Nurse Chapel?
Re #2- I was just thinking about The Federation Trading Post, wonder whatever happened to it.
Glad to see Nichelle out on these 2 projects. Can’t wait to see how she fits into Heroes.
#3. “Zoe….you got some big shoes to fill”
Hey, what the…..watch it, fella!
In “Charlie X” she sang a song to Spock and was pretty flirtatious with him.
Nichelle Nichols has got to be one of the absolutely most spectacularly beautiful women in the history of not only Star Trek, but the entertainment industry. She seems like a wonderfully spiritually solid person. If it’s not clear, I am obviously a huge fan.
Does anyone have any flippin’ news about Of Gods and Men? Any sort of update on when it may perhaps possibly be ready for viewing? Nichelle looks she’s acting up a storm in it but we may never know. They’re probably going to stream the thing, right? Exeter came out, now it’s your guys’ turn.
^we may have to wait till the 23rd century
Uhura was such a solid presence on Trek and a benchmark african american charater,But that flakey infinite diversity line was just so full of contradiction that I think she MAY BE the only one who understood what she said.
My favorite no-nonsense Uhura moment was the scene with the over-eager lieutenant in TSFS. Too funny…
Someone help out JC with IDIC.
I met Nichelle at a convention a few years ago and she was extremely friendly and pleasant. I hope she finds new success on Heroes.
“Someone help out JC with IDIC.”
Indeed. Exactly what did Nichols say that was so “full of contradiction”?
Produced a morning show a few years back. One day Cap Weinberger was on hawking his book. Not a nibble.
Nichelle Nichols was on the next day with her book. Our crew hounded her for autographs. (We’re not supposed to do that to guests, but we threw that rule in the crapper on that morning. Hell, I had to get her to autograph my SF Technical Manuel.)
She’s a class act. Very important piece… of TV history.
Was Uhura an African-American character? That casting sheet for STXI cheesed me off a bit by describing Uhura and Sulu as African-American and Asian-American. It was established (in non-canon works at least) that Uhura and Sulu weren’t Americans at all. And in TOS, Uhura’s Swahili strongly suggested that she was from Africa.
Hopefully the new movie will show, if they get into it at all, that the two characters are African and Asian and that the casting call was just using PC speak unthinkingly. Nobody thought it necessary to refer to Scotty and Chekov as Scottish-American or Russian-American. It’s only when race is involved, apparently, that people think you need to append “-American”.
And anyway in Kirk and McCoy there are already two Americans, which is an over-representation as it is, demographically speaking.
#21 Michael Hall…The contradiction is; “Only people who make moral choices…” seems to exclude the definition of ‘infinite diversity’ .’Infinite Diversity’ would have to include what others regard as immoral or what group consensus would regard as immoral. It’s a fun tag line for a Vulcan Sci-Fi character but a little too vague or morally relative to apply to real life.
I think it works for Spock (infinite diversity) when that character is serving as an antagonistic logical counterpart to his human shipmates.If You recall He was often portrayed as being heartlessly committed to logic despite the moral /emotional complications.You might say He would be inclined to sell that as infinite diversity to justify his postion to the crew.But anyway…very flawed philosophy mainly due to it’s commitment to moral relativism.
#25
Huh, I always looked at it as a means to appreciate the diversity that one might encounter on a trip throughout the stars (or everyday life) and to realize that the significance of ones own personal views or prejudices should not over ride the importance or morality of a different (or alien) culture. Lest the explorer come off as a crusader. Kind of gave a little breadth to the Prime Directive and the good of the many outweighing the good of the few or one. But it is only a TV show, after all.
23- “It’s only when race is involved, apparently, that people think you need to append “-American”.”
I always thought American was about all races. But then, I was raised on Star Trek where ideals mattered. If not, then I must be Anglo-Irish-Dutch-American. (And I’m pretty sure that’s the short version — we’re a very libidinous bunch and like to travel.)
Yes, the whole point of a multi-cultural bridge crew was to show that everyone has a shot at the big jobs. I hope XI doesn’t try to turn it into McDonald’s in Space.
Or as their version of Abe Lincoln may say to her “remember to play this up as the lovely negress you are” or as the Squire of Gothos might point out “be the Nubian prize you most certainly are on the mantle of the Enterprise”. These aren’t my words, just some taken from TOS in the same context as delivered on TOS unless they edited that from the 2.0 version which I haven’t watched yet.
#24 JC — You seem to have something confused there… that line was saying the characters are not heroes, they are only people who happen to make moral choices.
#24 JC — Didn’t mean to post the just yet… anyway, the lead should be taken to mean that the Enterprise crew are not HEROES, they are only PEOPLE who make moral choices AND who believe in the IDIC edict. Hmm… there appears to be an “and” missing in the story. Whoops!
Correction to #30 — meant “line”, not “lead”… don’t know where that came from… damn, I’m tired…