Nichelle Nichols was a famous American actress, dancer, and singer. She rose to fame by portraying Nyota Uhura in the blockbuster movie Star Trek: The Original Series. She was the 1st on the list of the Afro-American woman to have gained a high level of popularity in the entertainment sector of the United States. She was an outstanding actress on American TV and worked for the development of the Afro-American community in the United States. She was declared dead on 30th July 2022, and the cause of death is considered natural due to aging.
Nichelle Nichols Age
Nichelle Nichols came into the world on 28th December 1932 in the United States. She was 89 years of age as of July 2022. Her birth sign is Sagittarius. She is an American national. Her ethnicity is Afro-American. She believes in Christianity and follows Christian culture.
Nichelle Nichols Height, Weight, Physical Appearance
Nichelle Nichols stands tall at 5 feet 3 inches and weighs around 60kg. She has a slender figure with beautiful hair and mesmerizing black eyes.
Nichelle Nichols Early Life | Family
She was born to his father, Samuel Earl Nichols, a factory employee who got elected as the mayor of the town and chief magistrate of Robbins, Illinois, in the United States, and his mother, Lisa Nichols, who is a housemaker. The family then shifted to a building in the Chicago Woodlawn district. She got enrolled in Englewood High School in the US and graduated in 1951. She also pursued her studies in NY City and Los Angeles. She has siblings, Thomas Nichols and Marian Michaels.
Nichelle Nichols Career
She began her career as a singer and model in the entertainment sector. She was featured as Hazel Sharpe, to be the orgy maiden of the month. She was noticed by the publisher of the Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner in the play and was signed for his Playboy Club Chicago. She was also featured on the cover page of Ebony magazine in January 1967 and also got 2 stories published in it in the span of 5 years. She traveled alongside Lionel Hampton and Duke Ellington as a vocalist on the tour of Canada, Europe, and the United States.
She was the first black woman to get featured in a prospected role in a TV series in Star Trek. When she was about to quit, Martin Luther convinced her not to drop the show. Nichelle Nichols character portrayal of Uhura has been the source of motivation for the ex-NASA astronaut Mae Jemison and Whoopi Goldberg. Mae even appeared in an episode of the show, and the Guinan was especially characterized upon request of Goldberg.
Her biography Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and other stories made released in 1994. In her bio, it was mentioned that she was about to play the role of Peggy Fair in the TV series Mannix, but the producer Gene refrained her from doing so as per the contract terms. She did minor roles in the TV series and movies in the time gap between the conclusion part of the Star Trek original series and the Star Trek animated series.
Nichelle Nichols Relationship | Marriage
Nichelle Nichols was in a relationship with Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, in the 1960s. Their relationship came to an end prior to the release of Star Trek. She had 2 marriages, one with the dance artist Foster Johnson in the year 1951 and one ended in the same year. She has a child Kyle Johnson who celebrates his birthday on 14th August 1951. She got married to Duke Mondy in 1968, and the couple parted ways in 1972.
Nichelle Nichols Net Worth
She is speculated o have a net worth of around $ 8 million, while some sources suggest that she is supposed to have a net worth of $ 3 million at the time she left the world. The actual net worth is not sourced yet. The actress had an additional source of income through brand promotions, guest appearances, and sponsorships. She was estimated to have an income of $41k/month from her brandings.
Lt. Uhura of Star Trek Nichelle Nichols dies at 89
The most popular character of Lt. Uhura in Star Trek left this world on Saturday, 30th July, in New Mexico, in the United States. She was 89 years of age when she died. Her son Kyle Johnson informed about the obituary of her mother Nichelle Nichols, on the official website Uhura.com.
She was successful in making her black science fiction fans to believe that they could reach the stars. She was in the limelight in 1968 when she gave an intimate kissing scene in the episode of Plato’s Stepchildren with Captain James T. Kirk. The interracial lip kissing scene was too revolutionary in that period and was the first of that kind on television. The co-stars and friends of Nichelle Nichols have posted condolence messages on the social media platform with a heavy heart.
