Nichelle Nichols Nichelle Nichols is an American actress from Robbins , Illinois . She is most famous for portraying communications officer Uhura in , , and the first six " Star Trek " movies . She also provided the voices for a number of other characters on the animated series . Her image also appeared in , in a photograph that was among Spock ' s possessions bequeathed to . Nichols lobbied to appear as Guinan ' s daughter in . Richard Arnold added to that by suggesting , at the Los Angeles Creation Convention in 1990 , that Nichols might appear as Guinan ' s mother or daughter However , neither eventuality came to pass . Early career and other roles . Hailing from Robbins , Illinois , Nichols was discovered by jazz legend in her mid - teens . Nichols toured with both Ellington and as a lead singer and dancer . She broke into acting in the film " Porgy and Bess " ( 1959 , with Sammy Davis , Jr . , Loulie Jean Norman , and Brock Peters ) and has had an acting career lasting over forty - five years . Her first television role was on " The Lieutenant " ( 1964 , which was written and produced by Gene Roddenberry and featured Gary Lockwood and Don Marshall ) . She has also made TV appearances as herself in " It Takes Two " ( 1969 ) , " Head of the Class " ( 1988 ) , and " Weakest Link " ( 2002 ) ; she also voiced animated versions of herself on " The Simpsons " ( 2004 ) and in two episodes of " Futurama " ( 2000 , 2002 ) . She appeared as Ruana in two " Tarzan " films : " Tarzan ' s Jungle Rebellion " ( 1967 , with fellow " Star Trek " actors Lloyd Haynes , William Marshall , and Jason Evers ) ; and " Tarzan ' s Deadly Silence " ( 1970 , with Robert DoQui ) . These were episodes from the " Tarzan " TV series edited together and released as films . She also appeared in the TV movies " Gettin ' Up Mornin " ' ( 1964 , with Davis Roberts and Don Marshall ) and William Shakespeare ' s " Antony and Cleopatra " ( 1983 , with Ted Sorel , Earl Boen , Barrie Ingham , Dan Mason , James Avery , and her original series co - star Walter Koenig ) . Aside from the first six " Star Trek " films , her other film credits include : " Made in Paris " ( 1966 , with Jack Perkins ) , the classic " Truck Turner " ( 1974 , with Dick Miller ) , " Mister Buddwing " ( 1966 , with Ken Lynch , Bart Conrad , and Charles Seel ) , " The Supernaturals " ( 1986 , with LeVar Burton and Jessie Lawrence Ferguson ) , ' s " Snow Dogs " ( 2002 ) , and " Are We There Yet ? " ( 2005 , with Jerry Hardin ) . Nichols co - produced and played the title role in the 2011 film . Her other voice work includes the recurring role of Diane Maza on the Disney animated series " Gargoyles " , the African - American mother of Salli Richardson ' s character . Other " Trek " regulars who have appeared on the series include Avery Brooks , LeVar Burton , Michael Dorn , Jonathan Frakes , Marina Sirtis , and Brent Spiner . Among the " Trek " guest performers who appeared in the same episodes as Nichols were Michael Bell , LeVar Burton , Matt Frewer , Robert Ito , and Frank Welker . She also appeared as ancient Egyptian goddess Thoth - Khepera in the episode " Avatar " of " Batman : The Animated Series " , with Brock Peters and David Warner . In 2006 , Nichols returned to the role of Uhura in the fan film " Star Trek : Of Gods and Men " . In August 2007 , it was announced that Nichols would have a recurring role in the NBC hit series " Heroes " . She was the second star of TOS to appear on the series , after George Takei . star Dominic Keating also had a recurring role on the series , and star Zachary Quinto reccured in his famous role as the villainous Sylar . Other performers who appeared on the show during its second season included Joanna Cassidy and series regular Christine Rose . Legacy . Nichols ' role as Uhura on " Star Trek " was one of the first times that an African - American actress portrayed a non - stereotypical role on television . Previously , most African - American female characters on American television were depicted as maids or housekeepers , and Nichols ' role helped break that barrier . Years later , Whoopi Goldberg told Nichols about excitedly watching Uhura , as a child , and telling her mother , " " Come quick ! Come quick ! There ' s a black lady on TV , and she ain ' t no maid ! " " Nichols participated with series star William Shatner in another breakthrough , with American " episodic " television ' s first interracial kiss between fictional characters , as seen in TOS episode . ( Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis , Jr . had openly kissed months earlier , in a musical - variety special broadcast by NBC on 11 December 1967 , entitled " Movin ' With Nancy " . However , preceding that was Uhura giving Christine Chapel a peck on the cheek in , which had first aired on . ) Nichols became the first African - American actress to place her handprints in front of Hollywood ' s Grauman ' s Chinese Theatre , along with the rest of the " Star Trek " cast . In 1992 , she earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . After meeting Nichols at a " Star Trek " convention in 1975 , scientist Dr . Jesco von Puttkamer suggested that the actress take part in NASA ' s recruitment drive . Nichols took up the role in 1977 , making recruitment and training films , and supervising astronaut recruits and hopefuls . She noted that , within six months , the applicant count went from fewer than 100 a year to 1 , 649 . Most of the recruits that she attracted were women or from ethnic minorities . For her efforts , Nichols was named as NASA ' s ' Woman of the Year ' in 1979 . NASA astronauts Sally Ride , Guion Bluford , Judith Resnik , and Ronald McNair were all recruited as a direct result of Nichelle Nichols ' employ as NASA ' s recruiter , specifically for minorities . Nichols is a good friend of former NASA astronaut Dr . Mae Jemison . Dr . Jemison was a fan of the original " Star Trek " and was inspired by Nichols upon deciding to become the first African - American female astronaut . Jemison herself appeared in . Several costumes and accessories worn by Nichols in " Star Trek " were sold off on the It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction on eBay , including black Starfleet boots and a grey undershirt . In , it was announced that Nichols would receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Saturn Award s for her role in " Star Trek " as well as her support for NASA . Personal background . Nichelle Nichols had decided to leave the original " Star Trek " series after the first season . Fed up with racist harassment and limitation , culminating with her learning that studio executives were withholding her fan mail , she submitted her resignation . She withdrew it when Dr . convinced her that her role was a too important cultural breakthrough to leave . Nichols is said to have wearied of the constantly used line : " " Hailing frequencies open , sir . " " After having to open hailing frequencies fourteen times , her exact words were " " If I have to open hailing frequencies one more time , I ' ll smash this goddamn console ! " " ( " " ) Gene Roddenberry wrote Uhura ' s line " " Sometimes I think if I hear that word ' frequency ' once more , I ' ll cry " " into the script of as an in - joke referencing Nichols ' hatred of the aforementioned sentence . ( " " ) Gene Roddenberry offered Nichols ( his former lover ) a very generous contract at the beginning of the first season : a flat rate of US $ 1 , 000 per episode , which was higher than the salaries of DeForest Kelley , James Doohan and George Takei . Also , her contract didn ' t set a limit for the number of episodes to appear in , which the aforementioned performers ' contracts all did . However , Desilu ' s legal department and the other producers soon got angry about this , especially since in the early episodes Uhura ' s role was basically uttering the " hailing frequencies " line a few times per episode , yet the studio paid her a thousand dollars for what was considered to be a " bit role " . Soon , a new contract was negotiated , with Nichols ' salary reduced to US $ 140 per day – which actually meant that , if she needed to appear in all six or seven days of production , she would actually receive " more " money than with the previous offer . ( " " ; " " ) Nichols made both her first ( ) and last ( ) " Star Trek " appearances with DeForest Kelley . Both Nichols and Kelley filmed their first and last " Star Trek " scenes on and respectively . Nichols has authored two science fiction novels , entitled " Saturn ' s Child " and " Saturna ' s Quest " . Her younger brother , Thomas Nichols , committed suicide on 26 March 1997 , with the cult members in Rancho Santa Fe , California near San Diego . Nichols ' son is actor , who starred in the 1969 film . Appearances . Other media . Nichols has provided voice work as Uhura for two " Star Trek " games :