#R.I.P. Nichelle (Grace Dell) Nichols

[njtare]

[jbird5by5]

Saddened to hear of the passing of Actress/Singer/Dancer Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022)

Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died.

She was 89 years old.

Nichols died Saturday Silver City, New Mexico.

Cause of death listed as natural causes

Like other original cast members, Nichols also appeared in six big-screen spinoffs starting in 1979 with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” and frequented “Star Trek” fan conventions. She also served for many years as a NASA recruiter, helping bring minorities and women into the astronaut corps.

More recently, she had a recurring role on television’s “Heroes,” playing the

great-aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.

Born Grace Dell Nichols in Robbins, Illinois Dec 28, 1932, Nichols first worked professionally as a singer and dancer in Chicago at age 14, On stage she was twice nominated for the Sarah Siddons Award as Best Actress of the Year while on film she danced with Sammy Davis Jr in Porgy and Bess, and opposite James Garner in Mister Budwing (1965) and in a complete change around soon after the Star Trek television series came to an end played a blousey madam in the 70’s Blaxploitation classic “Truck Turner” Opposite Issac Hayes, then co starred with Lynn Redgrave n Antony and Cleopatra. She's been married twice and has a son Kyle Johnson from her first marriage to a tap dancer. moving on to New York nightclubs and working for a time with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands before coming to Hollywood for her film debut in 1959’s “Porgy and Bess,” the first of several small film and TV roles that led up to her “Star Trek” stardom.

Nichols was a regular at “Star Trek” conventions and events into her 80s, but her schedule became limited starting in 2018 when her son announced that she was suffering from advanced dementia.

My Condolence to Family and Friends.

#R.I.P. 😔🙏🥀