Majel Barrett - Roddenberry Majel Barrett - Roddenberry was a recurring actress in the " Star Trek " franchise and was the wife of " Star Trek " creator Gene Roddenberry from until his death in . This association with Roddenberry and his most famous creation has earned Barrett the title " The First Lady of Star Trek " . Barrett was the only performer to have had a role on six of the seven " Star Trek " series – usually not as a character but as the voice of the various computer s used throughout those series . She also supplied the voice of the " Enterprise " computer in five of the - spanning all three film series ( Original Series , The Next Generation Series , and the Alternate Reality Series ) . Her most frequent portrayal in " Star Trek " , besides the computer , was that of Nurse ( later Doctor ) Christine Chapel on , , and in two of the films . She also voiced M ' Ress and several other characters on " The Animated Series " and later played Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi on and . Her first filmed appearance was in the orginal " Star Trek " pilot episode as Number One in . Early life and career . Barrett was born Majel Leigh Hudec in Cleveland , Ohio . She enrolled in an acting workshop when she was ten years old but later attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables , Florida with the intention of becoming a legal clerk . She attended law school for a year , but , after failing a class in contract law , opted to move to New York to try her luck in acting . She landed parts in several stage plays , including " Models by Season " and " The Solid Gold Cadillac " , the latter of which toured across the country for nine months . During this time , her father , a police officer in Cleveland , was killed while out on patrol . Believing the competition in New York to be too stiff , Barrett moved to California in the 1950s where she won parts in stage plays as well as films . She had a bit part in the 1957 film " Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter ? " , after which she made an uncredited appearance in the 1958 Paramount Pictures release " The Black Orchid " . She then landed a supporting role in the 1958 Paramount film " As Young As We Were " , along with TOS guest actor Barry Atwater . She also had a brief role in Paramount ' s " The Buccaneer " that same year . One of Barrett ' s earliest television appearances came in 1959 in an episode of the syndicated adventure / drama series " Whirlybirds " , which starred Kenneth Tobey . She then made an uncredited appearance as a waitress in a 1960 episode of Desilu ' s " The Untouchables " , which aired on NBC . That same year , she guest - starred on the ABC family comedy series " Leave It to Beaver " , which starred Tony Dow . In 1961 , Barrett was seen in a supporting role in the musical comedy " Love in a Goldfish Bowl " , another film from Paramount Pictures . This was followed by a supporting role in the 1963 war drama " The Quick and the Dead " . She also continued making appearances on television shows , including " Cain ' s Hundred " ( with Anthony Caruso ) and a 1962 episode of " Bonanza " with her future TOS co - star James Doohan , entitled " Gift of Water . " In 1962 , Barrett met actress Lucille Ball at an acting class and was signed to a contract with Desilu . Soon thereafter , she appeared with Lucy in an episode of Desilu ' s " The Lucy Show " . History with Gene Roddenberry and " Star Trek " . The 1960s . Barrett first met Gene Roddenberry in 1961 . ( " Star Trek Memories " , p . 14 ) In late 1963 , she was cast in an episode of his Marine Corps drama , " The Lieutenant " , which starred Gary Lockwood . Incidentally , the episode in which Barrett appeared – titled " In the Highest Tradition " – also featured future TOS regular Leonard Nimoy . In addition , the episode was directed by Marc Daniels , who later directed 15 episodes of TOS . Barrett ' s relationship with Roddenberry , who was married and had two children , developed into her becoming his mistress . She later remembered , " " We weren ' t lovers at the very beginning , that sort of developed after we ' d become friends . " " Barrett had doubts that Roddenberry was ready to end his marriage . " " Up until Gene actually left his wife , I really couldn ' t anticipate spending my life with him , " " she explained . " " I felt I would spend the rest of my life loving him , but not necessarily " with " him . " " ( " Star Trek Memories " , p . 14 ) In , Roddenberry began developing , which became the first of two pilots for " Star Trek " . Roddenberry selected Barrett to portray Number One , the first officer and helm officer of the " Enterprise " under Captain Christopher Pike ( played by Jeffrey Hunter ) . The role was specifically written for Barrett from the start . ( " " ) Barrett filmed her scenes between Monday and Thursday , Tuesday and Wednesday , Wednesday and Thursday at Desilu Culver Stage 15 and 16 . Barrett along with Leonard Nimoy had her first day for " The Cage " at the Desilu Culver Stage 15 on , performing color makeup tests inside the Menagerie set . NBC ultimately rejected " The Cage , " but they gave Roddenberry the chance to produce a second pilot . However , the network asked that he drop both the devilish - looking Spock ( played by Leonard Nimoy ) and Barrett ' s Number One character , asserting that audiences would never accept a woman being second - in - command of a ship . Roddenberry insisted on keeping Spock but agreed to drop Number One . Barrett jokingly stated that Roddenberry " " kept the Vulcan and married the woman , ' cause he didn ' t think Leonard [ Nimoy ] would have it the other way around . " " In their book " " , Herb Solow and Robert Justman claimed that the account of NBC rejecting the female first officer was a myth created by Roddenberry . In their version , NBC was proud of gender and race diversity in its shows , and even insisted on having a strong female leading character , but they felt that Barrett was not a leading - type actress with strong screen presence , suitable for playing such a role . Apparently not wanting to hurt his mistress ' pride , Roddenberry purportedly came up with this story in the 1970s - 1980s " Star Trek " convention circuit , which he toured extensively with his by - then wife . Although her character was dropped from the second pilot , , after " Star Trek " was picked up as a series , Barrett , now disguised as a blonde , was given the role of Nurse Christine Chapel in the episode by Roddenberry , albeit surreptitiously according to Justman and Solow . Because the network did not like her role in " The Cage " , Barrett donned a blond wig for her role and went by the name " Majel Barrett " rather than " M . Leigh Hudec , " as she had done for " The Menagerie . " In effect , the surreptitious act of sneaking Barrett back into the " Star Trek " production against the express wishes of NBC , turned out to be one of the reasons for Lucille Ball after she was informed of this , to ordain the firing of the pair of them on the spot , as a moral propriety valuing Ball could not abide with nepotism . Concurrently , she had become aware that a married Roddenberry conducted an illicit affair with Barrett , which was an even stronger reason for her wanting them to be gone from her studio ; Ball ' s own marriage with Desi Arnaz had fallen apart in no small part due to his philandering . It was Herb Solow who , through an intermediary , managed to convince Ball otherwise , though he had the toughest of times doing so . ( " " , 1997 , p . 223 ; " " , 1st ed , pp . 25 - 27 ) In total , Barrett was featured as Nurse Chapel in twenty - five of the seventy - nine episodes of , from the first season ' s to the last episode of the series , . She also supplied the voice of the ' s computer in several episodes of the series . Marriage and continued collaboration . Barrett and Gene Roddenberry married on , two months after the final episode of " Star Trek " was aired . Since they were both in Japan at the time , and because Roddenberry did not adhere to any particular religion , they decided to have a Shinto - Buddhist wedding . Roddenberry ' s divorce from Eileen Anita Rexroat had not yet been finalized , requiring the pair to make the marriage legal with a civil ceremony held on . A brief filed with the California Court of Appeal on 30 September 1994 , in docket number B074848 , by attorneys for Barrett confirms that Roddenberry ' s divorce was not final until December 24 , 1969 . Their son , Eugene " Rod " Roddenberry , Jr . , was born on . Barrett and Roddenberry continued working together throughout the 1970s . They both ran the catalog company Lincoln Enterprises , which they founded in . In addition , Barrett acted in many of the unsold TV pilots Roddenberry wrote and produced , the first of which was " Genesis II " in 1973 . In addition to Barrett , this project also featured performances by " Star Trek " alumni Ted Cassidy , Mariette Hartley , Harvey Jason , and Percy Rodriguez . The following year , Barrett acted in Roddenberry ' s " The Questor Tapes " , which was directed by Richard Colla and which starred Robert Foxworth . That same year , Barrett performed in Roddenberry ' s " Planet Earth " , along with Diana Muldaur and the aforementioned Ted Cassidy . This project was directed by the aforementioned Marc Daniels . In 1977 , Barrett appeared in one more Roddenberry pilot , entitled " Spectre " . Post - TOS " Trek " work . Barrett voiced Nurse Chapel , as well as M ' Ress and numerous other characters , on from through . Barrett reprised her role of Christine Chapel , now a doctor , in ' s . She again played Doctor Chapel in . Barrett then recurred Lwaxana Troi on and , appearing in six episodes of the former and three episodes of the latter . Barrett also co - wrote the story for the DS9 episode , along with René Echevarria . For the episode " Half a Life " , Barrett filmed her scenes between Wednesday and Friday on Paramount Stage 8 and 9 . For the episode " Cost of Living " , she filmed her scenes between Tuesday and Monday and Wednesday and Thursday on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . Her makeup in this episode was applied by Michael Westmore . Barrett cited the TNG episode " Half a Life " as one of her favorite " Star Trek " episodes . ( " TNG Season 7 DVD special feature " Special Profiles Year Seven " ( " From Comedy To Drama " ) " ) In addition , Barrett voiced Starfleet computers in many episodes of TNG , DS9 , and . As a result of providing the ' s computer voice in the episode , she became the only actress to work on all five " Star Trek " television series . Along with Joseph Ruskin , Clint Howard , Jack Donner and Vince Deadrick , she was one of only five actors to appear in both " The Original Series " and " Enterprise " . She has also been heard as the " Enterprise " computer voice in five of the feature films : , , , and . She also voiced the Federation computer in the video games " " , " " , " " and " Generations " , in " " , in the television documentary " To Boldly Go " , and in the DVD - Rom editions of the " " , the " " , and the . She even voiced the ship ' s computer for the " World Enough and Time " episode of the fan - made internet series " Star Trek : New Voyages " , produced by James Cawley . Her son , Rod Roddenberry , was a consulting producer on this series at the time . She also voiced the ship ' s computer of the USS F . Scott Fitzgerald NCC - 85107 - A in fan - made series " Star Trek I : Specter " ( ) produced by Brandon Bridge . On , it was announced that Barrett had again recorded a voice - over as the " Enterprise " computer for ' s . She had completed her voice work on the film sometime the previous week . The announcement that she was reprising her role as the computer voice came just eight days before her death . Continuing the legacy . Barrett ' s association with the " Star Trek " franchise and her love affair with creator Gene Roddenberry has earned her the title " The First Lady of Star Trek . " After Gene Roddenberry ' s death on , Barrett became an integral part of " Star Trek " s continued legacy and that of Roddenberry himself . She continued to operate Lincoln Enterprises with their son , Rod , and attended at least one major " Star Trek " convention every year , in addition to making continued appearances and contributions to the " Star Trek " spin - offs . Following Roddenberry ' s death , Barrett took material from his archives and used his ideas to develop two Canadian - produced science fiction television series . The first was " Earth : Final Conflict " , which ran from 1997 through 2002 . The second was , which aired from 2000 through 2005 . Barrett served as executive producer on both of these shows until 2002 and had a recurring role as Julianne Belman on " Earth : Final Conflict " , but Gene Roddenberry was credited as the creator of both shows . Other acting credits . In addition to her commitment to Gene Roddenberry and to " Star Trek " , Barrett continued acting in unrelated projects . She made an uncredited appearance in the 1965 Paramount film " Sylvia " , which was followed by a major role in a 1966 musical film called " Country Boy " . In 1967 , she had supporting roles in two films : ' s comedy " A Guide for the Married Man " and the action drama " Track of Thunder " . Barrett also continued appearing on television . She made a return visit to " Bonanza " in 1966 , after which she appeared in such shows as " The Second Hundred Years " ( which starred Monte Markham ) and " Here Come the Brides " . The latter series had three TOS guest stars as regulars : Robert Brown , Mark Lenard , and David Soul . Barrett portrayed Miss Carrie in ' s 1973 science fiction classic " Westworld " . Alan Oppenheimer also had a role in this film . Barrett then appeared in ' s 1977 film " The Domino Principle " , playing the wife of a character played by Ted Gehring . Barrett appeared in two 1995 independent films : " Mommy " and " Teresa ' s Tattoo " . The latter film also featured one - time TNG guest actor Diedrich Bader . In 1996 , Barrett guest - starred as the widow of the Centauri emperor in the episode of the cult science fiction series " Babylon 5 " entitled " " . She took the role as a goodwill gesture in hopes of calming the rivalry between the " Trek " franchise and the burgeoning new competitor . In addition to series regular Andreas Katsulas , the episode also featured Vaughn Armstrong and Marshall R . Teague . From 1996 through 1998 , Barrett voiced Anna Watson , the aunt of Mary Jane Watson , in the animated " Spider - Man " series based on the Marvel Comics characters . In 1998 , Barrett , along with her " Star Trek " co - stars Walter Koenig , George Takei , and Grace Lee Whitney and " Trek " alumni Bill Mumy and Wil Wheaton , made gag appearances in the episode of " Diagnosis Murder " called " Alienated . " As an in - joke , Barrett was brought in by Trekkie writer and producer Seth MacFarlane to participate on his animated series , " Family Guy " . In the episode called " Emission Impossible , " Barrett supplies the voice of Stewie ' s " sperm " ship , a nod to her four - decade role as a computer voice on " Star Trek " . The episode also featured the voice of DS9 alumnus Wallace Shawn . Death . Barrett died at her home in Bel Air , California , at 12 : 27AM on following a short battle with leukemia . She was surrounded by family , friends and her son , Eugene " Rod " Roddenberry , Jr . She was 76 years old . Trust . The trust documents obtained after Barrett ' s death disclosed that her pet dogs were left a $ 4 million trust and the rights to live in one of her mansions until they die . Barrett ' s employee , Reinelda Estupinian , was left $ 1 million and the right to live and care for the pets in the same house . Son Eugene was left the family ' s Bel Air mansion , $ 60 million and $ 10 million bonuses when he turns 35 , 40 and 45 .