RIP Bill Russell and Nichelle Nichols
Here is my combined remembrance of two celebrities who passed away today:
Remembering Bill Russell 1934-2022
NBA legend Bill Russell has died at 88. In addition to being a player on the Boston Celtics and later a coach, he had a few moments within pop culture. He appeared on several TV shows including episode of The White Shadow and Miami Vice. Best of all was when he hosted SNL in Nov. 1979.
Russell (on right) hosting SNL in 1979 with Bill Murray (left) and Garrett Morris (center)
The link above is the obit from Hollywood Reporter.
Remembering Nichelle Nichols 1932-2022
Actress Nichelle Nichols has died at 89. She accomplished so much beyond film and TV, but her greatest role was as Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek.
Nichols on Classic Trek as Uhura
In the mid-1960s during the civil rights movement, the TV show Star Trek (NBC 1966-1969) premiered. Here was a sci-fi show set in the future, where you had a spaceship with a crew made up of people of all different sexes, races, nationalities and even inter-planetary. Having a black female officer on the Starship Enterprise was very significant and groundbreaking for that time in television. At a time when she was pondering leaving the show Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told her “Don’t you understand, for the first time, we’re seen as we should be seen? You don’t have a Black role. You have an equal role.” Very true. Uhura wasn’t just thrown in, she was the Communications Officer for the ship and she stole many scenes. They also had her singing in multiple episodes too!
She returned to the role of Uhura on Star Trek: The Animated Series (NBC 1973-1974), Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (my personal favorite of the movies), Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, and Star Trek First Frontier. She also lent her voice to several Star Trek video games and appeared as Admiral Grace Jemison on Star Trek: Renegades (2015-2017) and Renegades (2017). If you watch the recent Star Trek reboot movies, where Uhura is played by Zoe Saldana, if you look closely there is a lot of Nichols in her performance since she made the part so iconic first.
Saldana and Nichols together (two Uhuras!) in 2009
I don’t care what anyone says, Classic Trek was the best of all the series. I got into Star Trek when I saw re-runs as a kid and teen. The idea of space exploration and all different people working together to solve problems was something very positive and hopeful.
In addition to entertainment, Nichols worked with NASA as a recruiter to help reach out to women and minorities. The fact that many people underrepresented by NASA were now invited to join by Uhura herself is truly historic. She used her celebrity and character to help women and minorities work at NASA. Respect!
The link above is the obit from Hollywood Reporter.
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