Uhura (Nichelle Nichols)

Character analysis.

In the Original Series, Nyota Uhura was the communications officer aboard the Enterprise 's bridge. While she had her moments, she didn't get to do much in your average episode. Send a communication here, pick up a communication there. You know, comm stuff.

In The Search for Spock , Uhura has her moment to shine when she pulls a gun on a fellow Starfleet officer. We're guessing that's not in her communications officer job description.

All joking aside, Uhura joins the rest of the crew to support the film's themes of loyalty and friendship. She takes a job in the Old Station transporter room, a place her fellow officer refers to as the "hind end of space." (Ew.) But the position is just a ploy to keep Starfleet from noticing Kirk's plan.

When Kirk arrives at the station, Uhura illegally teleports him and the rest of the crew to the Enterprise , so they can commandeer it. Having already committed treason with this act, she doubles down on her loyalty to the crew and draws a gun on her fellow officer:

UHURA: You wanted adventure, how's this? The old adrenaline going, huh? Good boy. Now get in the closet. LIEUTENANT: Okay. UHURA: Go on. Go on. LIEUTENANT: I'll just get in the closet.

Not only does Uhura show her loyalty here, but she displays strength, confidence, and character in the way she handles "Mr. Adventure." She proves herself an asset to the team, and she didn't even need to get naked and dance with palm fronds in the desert.

Yeah…more on that when we get to The Final Frontier ….

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Published Dec 28, 2023

Nyota Uhura’s Most Iconic Star Trek Moments

It’s time to celebrate the Enterprise’s communications officer.

Collage of Uhura moments featuring Zoe Saldana, Nichelle Nichols, and Celia Rose Gooding

StarTrek.com

Nyota Uhura remains a groundbreaking character even to this day. Originated by Nichelle Nichols, the communications officer of the starship Enterprise was not only a courageous and clever addition to the crew, but represented a better future for viewers. Nichols herself was asked to remain on the show by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , as he said it was one of the few shows he allowed his children to watch due to its depiction of Black characters as an equal leading character. Nichols also inspired legions of others, such as Sonequa Martin-Green, who blazed a trail as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery .

In 2009, Zoe Saldana stepped into the role in Star Trek (2009) . She delivered an equally powerful performance, setting the stage for Celia Rose Gooding to play the role in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . While Gooding’s Uhura is a cadet, she is ready to prove herself and find her place among the cosmos.

To celebrate the beginnings of Uhura’s journey, we collected a few of Uhura’s most iconic moments from across the franchise to highlight her courage, her cleverness, and her leadership.

" Charlie X ," Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series -

While this episode is full of dated views on gender, it does feature a scene highlighting Uhura’s friendship with the crew, particularly Spock. In the recreation room, Spock plays the Vulcan lute as Uhura sings “Oh, On the Starship Enterprise ” for the delight of the crew. While their performance ends abruptly due to Charlie’s powers, it’s a sweet scene that not only highlights Nichols’ gifted voice but shows that Uhura is a character with multiple sides to her beyond being a gifted officer.

"Mirror, Mirror," Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series -

What do you do when trapped in an alternate universe? Uhura, along with Kirk, Scotty, and McCoy, finds the answer to that question in “Mirror, Mirror.” Uhura plays a key role in getting everyone home by distracting Sulu long enough for Scotty to divert warp power to the transporters. Even though she’s nervous, Uhura still proves herself to be as capable as the other officers on the mission, and without her bravery, Kirk and his crew would still be trapped in the Mirror Universe.

"The Lorelei Signal," Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series -

When Kirk and several male officers have their life forces drained on a planet full of siren-like women, Uhura steps up to take charge. Leading an all-women landing party, she convinces the women to free her captain and crew and to stop luring men to their deaths every 27 years. She even arranges for a ship — crewed only by women Starfleet officers — to come to pick up the women and take them to a more habitable planet. This is one of the few original episodes to allow Uhura to take full command, and of course she more than rises to the occasion, resolving the problem peacefully and without losing a single crewmember.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

When she has the opportunity to help Spock come back to life, Uhura joins the rest of the crew in taking action. While her role is smaller in the film compared to her colleagues, she still gets one key and memorable scene. Uhura easily disarms and stops a young, brash Starfleet officer who’s guarding the Transporter room. “I’m glad you’re on our side,” McCoy says, and he’s right. Any side with Uhura on it? That’s clearly the winning team.

Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond

In the Kelvin universe, Uhura gets many opportunities to shine, but one key moment is her face-off with Krall in Star Trek Beyond . Uhura never gives up the faith that Kirk and her fellow crew members will save the day, and never displays fear or worry when Krall is threatening her. Once rescued and aboard the Franklin , it’s Uhura who is able to figure out that Krall is actually Captain Edison via the video logs left on the ship. Without her, the mystery behind Krall would have never been solved. She showcases her quick thinking to help save the day.

" Children of the Comet ," Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

On her first away mission with Spock and La'An Noonien-Singh, the Enterprise crew discover an ancient relic buried in the comet's surface that Uhura tries to communicate with in 'Children of the Comet'

"Children of the Comet"

Uhura lands an invitation to dinner at the captain's cabin where the crew gets to learn more about the cadet, with Pike noting how impressive she must be to land one of the few postings aboard the flagship Enterprise . She surprises the crew with her fluency in 37 languages, as well as her belief that she's doesn't consider herself "all that Starfleet."

Knowing Uhura's desire to study alien languages, Pike orders the cadet to join her first landing party as they survey a comet. On the comet's surface, they end up cut off from the ship's comms as they're near a volatile ancient egg-shaped relic. With time against them and a crewmember in critical condition, the away team relies on Uhura's specialty as a linguistics expert to help them out of their current predicament. As this was the first time her life was in danger; Uhura questions her presence there. When she defaults to her trait of humming when distressed, they noticed that the relic and the chamber reacting to Uhura's melody — the comet's form of communicating. As Uhura matches the comet's melodies, it lowers its force field allowing them to beam back aboard the Enterprise to save not only Sam Kirk's life as well as the lives of a neighboring planet in the comet's range.

" Subspace Rhapsody ," Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Keep Us Connected

In another music-based moment, Ensign Uhura truly shines in her solo musical number, "Keep Us Connected," as performed by the Grammy Award-winning Gooding. She details the tragedies of her life — losing her family as well as her friend and mentor, Hemmer — at such a young age, and how that grief is woven into her fabric.

Despite all this, it's her experiences that has guided her here, and towards understanding the subspace anomaly. Armed with her strengths, she inspires the entire crew into a full-blown musical ensemble, " We Are One ," saving not only the Enterprise , but all others in the surrounding area.

What’s your favorite Uhura moment? Let us know on social!

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This article was originally published on May 16, 2022.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, South Korea, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In addition, the series airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Nichelle Nichols: 5 classic Star Trek moments that redefined sci-fi

Nichelle Nichols recontextualized representation in mainstream science fiction. But she also stole the show.

Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Captain Kirk (William Shatner) in "Balance of Terror."

The incomparable actress, singer, mother, and activist Nichelle Nichols passed away at the age of 89 on July 30, 2022. Her legacy will largely be centered on two facts:

  • Starting in 1966, as Uhura in Star Trek , she was the first Black woman in a major role in a mainstream science fiction TV series.
  • In 1977, she conceived and led a major recruitment drive for NASA , which resulted in the first Black and female astronauts in the American space program.

As an inspiration to Martin Luther King Jr. , President Barack Obama, Stacey Abrams , and countless millions, Nichols will always be remembered for a beloved character she essentially created from scratch . Here are five brilliant Uhura moments from across the Star Trek franchise that establish why Nichols and her Starfleet alter-ego were — and still are — so influential almost six decades later.

5. “You’re Swahili?”

Nichelle Nichols  as Uhura  in "The Man Trap."

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura and Vince Howard as the mysterious crewman (really a salt vampire in disguise!) in Star Trek: The Original Series ; “The Man Trap.”

Although countless retrospectives will doubtlessly focus on Nichols and William Shatner participating in the first interracial kiss on American television in the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” that scene is not in any way, shape, or form representative of one of the greatest Uhura moments in the original Star Trek. Visually, it may have been groundbreaking, but since the context of that scene was Kirk and Uhura being forced to kiss each other by alien “gods,” it’s hard to make the case that it’s all that progressive.

Instead, if you want an amazing jolt at just how groundbreaking Uhura was on Star Trek , look no further than the very first aired episode ever, “The Man Trap.” In it, the series casually establishes that Uhura speaks Swahili, and does so when she meets a man who also speaks the African language. White American TV audiences were certainly not used to seeing two Black characters speak in an African language on prime-time TV, making this moment wonderful, partly because of its confidence. Even early in her Trek appearance, Uhura proved that representation matters.

4. “This is fantasy!”

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in 'Star Trek III: The Search For Spock'

Uhura (Nichols) sets her phaser to “don’t mess with me.”

As an action-adventure character, Uhura didn’t get as many kick-ass moments in The Original Series as fans probably would have liked. But when it came time for Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984), Leonard Nimoy made it his goal to make sure every crew member had a chance to shine.

This led to a hilarious and badass scene in which Uhura tells a younger subordinate exactly where he can stick it. When he asks, “Have you lost your sense of reality?” Uhura responds, “This isn’t reality, this is fantasy!”

3. Uhura takes navigation

Nichelle Nichols and George Takei in 'Star Trek.'

Uhura takes over the navigation station in “Balance of Terror.”

The classic episode “Balance of Terror” — recently recreated on Strange New Worlds — is famous for many things. It introduced the Romulans. It had a fantastic plot involving Spock facing bigotry from fellow Enterprise crew members. It’s just a wonderful piece of science fiction suspense. But one small moment is sometimes overlooked.

When navigator Stiles (Paul Comi) heads to the phaser control room, Uhura assumes the forward-facing position at the navigation station next to Sulu at the helm. It’s one of the rare moments Uhura is up in front flying the ship. Symbolically, it’s awesome. Star Trek didn’t make a big deal about Uhura being a polymath, capable of various jobs on the Enterprise. It just happened.

2. Uhura and Spock rock out

Nichelle Nichols and Leonard Nimoy in "Charlie X."

Uhura (Nichols) and Spock (Nimoy) jam together on the Enterprise .

Although Spock takes a lot of grief from Bones (DeForest Kelley) throughout the run of the original Star Trek , the one person who can tease Spock without insulting him outright is Uhura. The earliest moments of “The Man Trap” establish Spock and Uhura’s playful and respectful relationship, but it’s in the episode “Charlie X” where we see how much these two characters like and respect each other.

When Uhura starts singing a song about Spock in which she compares him to “someone in Satan’s guise,” Spock isn’t offended. He goes along with Uhura’s song because he thinks she’s great, proving that these two get each other. Both Nichols and Nimoy said numerous times that they considered Spock and Uhura to be kindred spirits and, as such, supported each other both professionally but also as friends.

1. “Sorry, Neither!”

George Takei and Nichelle Nichols in "The Naked Time."

Uhura (Nichols) is done with Sulu (George Takei) in “The Naked Time.”

Written by John D.F. Black, the episode “The Naked Time” is a classic Trek romp. When the Enterprise crew catches a virus that causes everyone to lose their inhibitions, Spock ends up crying, Riley (Bruce Hyde) starts broadcasting love songs over the intercom, and Sulu (George Takei) takes off his shirt and starts running around with a sword.

When the crazed Sulu enters the bridge, believing himself to be some kind of swashbuckler, he grabs Uhur and says, “I’ll protect you, fair maiden.”

Uhura’s response hits back against racism and sexism at the same time. She says, “Sorry, neither!” Her skin is neither fair nor is she a defenseless maiden. It’s a quick line, contained in an over-the-top scene in an equally hyperbolic episode. But it’s these small, profound moments that made the original Star Trek so groundbreaking — and make Uhura the most essential member of the Enterprise’s thoughtful and forward-thinking family.

You can watch the excellent Nichelle Nichols documentary Woman In Motion on Paramount+.

Phasers on Stun!: How the Making — and Remaking — of Star Trek Changed the World

This article was originally published on Aug. 1, 2022

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Nichelle Nichols, the USS Enterprise’s Lt. Uhura, dies at 89

MLK convinced her to return to a groundbreaking role for Black actors

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Lt. Nyota Uhura informs Capt. Kirk a hailing frequency has opened

Nichelle Nichols, best known as the communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura of the starship Enterprise , died July 30. She was 89. Her groundbreaking performances in Star Trek , corresponding with the Civil Rights movement in the United States, helped set the first standard for diversity and inclusion in mainstream screen entertainment.

As Uhura, Nichols was a core presence during Star Trek ’s original run on NBC from 1966 to 1969. To that point, Black actresses were largely given servile or ancillary roles in television and theater. But Nichols, radiating professionalism and 1960s mod-style sex appeal from her chair on the Enterprise’s bridge, opened a channel to Hollywood for stars like Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Pam Grier.

Born Grace Dell Nichols on Dec. 28, 1932 in the Chicago suburb of Robbins, Illinois, she modeled and starred in several stage plays during her 20s and 30s, including James Baldwin’s Blues for Mister Charlie , before her breakthrough on Star Trek .

Despite her success in Star Trek ’s first season, Nichols felt called to Broadway, and tendered her resignation to show creator Gene Roddenberry after receiving several offers for major stage roles. The following weekend, she was a celebrity guest at an NAACP banquet, where she met the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“As a matter of fact, [ Star Trek ] is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch, because it’s on past their bedtime,” King said, according to Nichols’ recollection for the Television Academy Foundation.

“And I got the courage to say, ‘I really am going to miss my co-stars,’ and he said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘I’m leaving Star Trek ,’ and he said, ‘You cannot.’ […] He said, ‘For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen, every day.’”

Nichols withdrew her resignation and continued with the series, culminating in her role in season 3, episode 10, “Plato’s Stepchildren,” where she shared a kiss with William Shatner, the first interracial romance depicted on American television. The scene came one year after a Supreme Court decision nullifying Southern states’ laws against marriage between races.

Though the series’ first run was cancelled in 1969, Nichols remained a singularly identifiable Star Trek figure in the coming decades. She is, along with Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, and Walter Koenig, one of seven officers commanding the Enterprise from its original three-year mission in the 1960s through six feature film appearances from 1979 to 1991.

On Earth, Nichols was an ambassador for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration beginning in 1977, specifically to advocate for the training and assignment of women and minority candidates for spaceflight roles. In 2012, NASA credited Nichols for inspiring the careers of Sally Ride (the first American woman in space) and fellow astronauts Ronald McNair, Frederick Gregory, and Judith Resnik.

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Appreciation: ‘Star Trek’ underutilized Nichelle Nichols. She was its heart and soul anyway

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The original “Star Trek” may have been canceled in 1969, but it is still with us . That three seasons of a television series could in those days produce 79 episodes led to a healthy life in syndication, which brought the voyagers of the starship Enterprise new generations of viewers and led to the creation of a dedicated fandom, multiple ongoing conventions and the eventual creation of a franchise that continues to pay respect to the original .

As communications officer Lt. Uhura (the first name Nyota was a later addition), Nichelle Nichols, who died Saturday at the age of 89 , was with the show from first to last, including the subsequent “Star Trek: The Animated Series” and six feature films built around the original cast. Nichols was an elegant, poised performer — she was a trained dancer who held herself like one, just sitting at her console, one leg forward, one leg back, one hand to her earpiece — and in a series in which overacting can sometimes seem like the baseline, she never did too much. But Uhura was far more than a character in a television show, just as Nichols was something more than an actor: They were inspirational figures of historical import, both the player and the part, models of dignity who pointed to a better future simply by doing their jobs.

While racism was a recurring theme on “Star Trek,” Earth in the 23rd century is portrayed as having moved beyond prejudice, and so within the context of the series there is nothing extraordinary about a Black woman in a position of responsibility — Nichols has described Uhura as “fourth in command” — which is exactly what made it extraordinary in the context of late-1960s television.

MALIBU, CA-DECEMBER 21, 2017: Actress Nichelle Nichols is photographed in Malibu, where she is working on a movie called, "Unbelievable," on December 21, 2017. Nichols plays the role of 'Aunt Petunia" in the Sci-Fi Adventure film which stars over 40 former Star Trek actors. (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ dies at 89

Nichols died of heart failure Saturday night at a hospital in Silver City, N.M.

July 31, 2022

“Where I come from, size, shape or color make no difference,” William Shatner’s Kirk tells little person Michael Dunn in “Plato’s Stepchildren,” the third-season episode in which Kirk and Uhura have their famous kiss — not television’s first interracial kiss, it has been pointed out, but as far as I can tell, the first between a Black woman and a white man. The fact that they’re forced into it by telekinetic aliens, robbing them of agency, makes the scene no less groundbreaking, and Uhura’s speech to Kirk just beforehand puts a deeper slant on things: “I’m thinking of all the times on the Enterprise when I was scared to death. And I would see you so busy at your command. And I would hear your voice from all parts of the ship. And my fears would fade. And now [the aliens] are making me tremble. But I’m not afraid.“

Kiss aside, there’s no question Nichols was underused in the series; in the hierarchy of the show, in terms of screen time, there are Kirk and Spock, and then McCoy and Scott, and then Uhura (and Sulu and Chekhov). A lot of dudes. (Majel Barrett’s recurring Nurse Chapel was the only other female element, notwithstanding various guest aliens, often scantily clad.) Uhura rarely joins a landing party. But even when she’s not the focus of a scene, she is regularly onscreen, even if just visible at her post on the bridge, completing the picture, contributing to the emotional tenor. (And when she isn’t there, you notice it.) As the communications officer, everything runs through Uhura: She’s the voice of what’s happening elsewhere on the ship, and what’s happening outside the ship, whether announcing the presence of some other spacecraft or relating what’s up with Planet X. Even reciting lines like “I’m receiving Class Two signals from the Romulan vessel” or “Revised estimate on cloud visual contact 3.7 minutes,” she is the picture of the professional. She builds exposition, asks important questions; wordlessly reacting to some bit of business on the viewing screen, she brings an emotion and energy into the scene different from that of her sometimes blustery male colleagues.

William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols in 2006

Still, in the series’ first episode, Uhura confesses that she’s “beginning to feel too much a part of that communications console.” And whenever she’s liberated from her post for a minute and allowed to do anything else at all, you notice and remember. Whether she’s in a crawl space rigging up a subspace bypass circuit, or speaking teasingly with Spock (“Why don’t you tell me I’m an attractive young lady or ask me if I’ve ever been in love? Tell me how your planet Vulcan looks on a lazy evening when the moon is full”), or pretending to be an evil mirror-universe version of herself, these excursions leave you wanting more. For all it accomplished, the series missed a few tricks when it came to Nichols.

There was more to her than “Star Trek,” before, after and during. A performer since her teens, Nichols had toured as a dancer (and at least one night as a replacement singer) with Duke Ellington and made her screen debut in the 1959 film of “Porgy and Bess.” She had originally set her sights on a career in musical theater. You get a glimpse of that performer in the series’ second episode, when, as Spock plays on his Vulcan lyre, Uhura begins to mischievously sing and move catlike through the ship’s lounge: “Oh, on the Starship Enterprise / There’s someone who’s in Satan’s guise / Whose devil ears and devil eyes / Could rip your heart from you.” (Nichols got a couple more chances to sing in the series and performed a fan dance in “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.”) It was to take a part in a Broadway-bound play that Nichols decided to leave the series after its first season, only to be persuaded to stay after an oft-recounted chance meeting with self-professed huge fan Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who, she later recalled, told her: “For the first time on television, we will be seen as we should be seen every day, as intelligent, quality, beautiful people who can sing, dance and can go to space.”

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Apart from “Star Trek” films, which commenced in 1979, a decade after the series was canceled, Nichols continued sporadically to act, including episodes of “Heroes,” “Downward Dog” and “The Young and the Restless,” and movies of varying budget and quality, including Disney’s “Snow Dogs” and the zombie film “The Supernaturals”; perhaps her least Uhura-esque role is in the 1974 Isaac Hayes blaxploitation film “Truck Turner,” in which she plays an ice-cold, highly profane madam. (In 2008, she’d play another madam, a friendly one, in “Lady Magdalene’s,” a ridiculous low-budget action comedy.) Whatever the vehicle, her work always feels committed and self-assured.

But “Star Trek” remains her legacy, and her gift, and it shaped her life, leading Nichols to work with NASA, recruiting women and people of color to the space program (as recounted in the 2019 documentary “Woman in Motion”). Finally, it was home. In the 2007 feature-length fan film “Star Trek: Of Men and Gods,” directed by “Star Trek: Voyager” actor Tim Russ and also starring Nichols’ old castmate Walter “Chekhov” Koenig, Nichols played Uhura one final time, in a part that — with no Kirk, no Spock in the way — at last brought her to center stage. Currently available on YouTube , the film definitely feels homemade, but it is clearly a labor of love, and Nichols, white-haired and still beautiful, is wonderful in it. And Uhura still lives, in the person of Celia Rose Gooding, who plays the character’s younger self in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.” These days, “Trek” women get a lot to do. And often they are women of color.

“I believe it was fated,” Nichols said in a Television Academy interview of the encounter with Dr. King that sent her back to “Star Trek.” ”And I’ve never looked back, I never regretted it. Because I understood the universe had somehow, that universal mind had somehow put me there. And we have choices — are we going to walk down this road or are we going to walk down the other? And it was the right road for me.”

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Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' dies at 89

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Nichelle Nichols made history for her role as communications officer Lt. Uhura on Star Trek. CBS via Getty Images hide caption

Nichelle Nichols made history for her role as communications officer Lt. Uhura on Star Trek.

Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known as Star Trek 's communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, died Saturday night in Silver City, New Mexico. She was 89 years old.

"I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years," her son Kyle Johnson wrote on the website Uhura.com . "Her light, however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration."

Nichols was one of the first Black women featured in a major television series, and her role as Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original TV series was groundbreaking: an African American woman whose name came from Uhuru, the Swahili word for "freedom."

"Here I was projecting in the 23rd century what should have been quite simple," Nichols told NPR in 2011 . "We're on a starship. I was head communications officer. Fourth in command on a starship. They didn't see this as being, oh, it doesn't happen til the 23rd century. Young people and adults saw it as now."

In 1968, Nichols made headlines when Uhura shared an intimate kiss with Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) in an episode called "Plato's Stepchildren." Their interracial kiss on the lips was revolutionary, one of the first such moments on TV.

Nichelle Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in TV history with William Shatner.

Nichols was born Grace Dell Nichols in a Chicago suburb where her father was the mayor. She grew up singing and dancing, aspiring to star in musical theater. She got her first break in the 1961 musical Kicks and Co ., a thinly veiled satire of Playboy magazine. She was the star of the Chicago stock company production of Carmen Jones, and in New York performed in Porgy and Bess .

'To me, the highlight and the epitome of my life as a singer and actor and a dancer/choreographer was to star on Broadway," she told NPR in 2011, adding that as her popularity on Star Trek grew, she was beginning to get other offers. "I decided I was going to leave, go to New York and make my way on the Broadway stage."

Nichols said she went to Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek , and announced she was quitting. "He was very upset about it. And he said, take the weekend and think about what I am trying to achieve here in this show. You're an integral part and very important to it."

For MLK Day: 'Lt. Uhura' On How Rev. King Told Her To Stay On 'Star Trek'

The Two-Way

For mlk day: 'lt. uhura' on how rev. king told her to stay on 'star trek'.

So that weekend, she went to an NAACP fundraiser in Beverly Hills and was asked to meet a man who said he was her number one fan: Martin Luther King, Jr.

"He complimented me on the manner in which I'd created the character. I thanked him, and I think I said something like, 'Dr. King, I wish I could be out there marching with you.' He said, 'no, no, no. No, you don't understand. We don't need you ... to march. You are marching. You are reflecting what we are fighting for.' So, I said to him, 'thank you so much. And I'm going to miss my co-stars.'"

"His face got very, very serious," she recalled. "And he said, 'what are you talking about?' And I said, 'well, I told Gene just yesterday that I'm going to leave the show after the first year because I've been offered... And he stopped me and said: 'You cannot do that.' I was stunned. He said, 'don't you understand what this man has achieved? For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen. He says, do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch.' I was speechless."

Nichols returned to the series, which lasted until 1969. She also reprised her famous role in six subsequent feature films, including Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , where Uhura was promoted to commander .

Much More Than A 5-Year Mission: 'Star Trek' Turns 50

Much More Than A 5-Year Mission: 'Star Trek' Turns 50

For years, Nichols also helped diversify the real-life space program, helping to recruit astronauts Sally Ride, Judith Resnik, Guion Bluford, and others. And she had her own science foundation, Women in Motion .

"Many actors become stars, but few stars can move a nation," tweeted actress Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman on TV in the 1970s. "Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media. Thank you, Nichelle. We will miss you."

George Takei, who costarred on Star Trek as helmsman Hikaru Sulu tweeted: "I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise," her wrote. "For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend."

He also posted a photo of his longtime friend, both of them flashing the Vulcan greeting, and these words: "We lived long and prospered together."

We lived long and prospered together. pic.twitter.com/MgLjOeZ98X — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022
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Actor Nichelle Nichols, best known for her role as Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, has died.

Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt Uhura in original Star Trek, dies aged 89

Actor achieved worldwide fame and broke ground for Black women while playing Nyota Uhura in the original TV hit

Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lt Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series and helped to create a new era for television in the 1960s, has died in New Mexico at the age of 89.

Nichols’ son, Kyle Johnson, announced her death on Sunday via Facebook , saying: “I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years.” Nichols’s death, on Saturday night in Silver City, was later confirmed by her agent.

Johnson said his mother had succumbed to natural causes, seven years after suffered a stroke.

“Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from and draw inspiration.”

Nichols will be remembered chiefly for her role in the sci-fi adventure series, but she began her career as a dancer and nightclub singer.

US president Joe Biden paid tribute to Nichols, saying she “shattered stereotypes”. “Our nation has lost a trailblazer of stage and screen who redefined what is possible for Black Americans and women”.

“Our nation is forever indebted to inspiring artists like Nichelle Nichols, who show us a future where unity, dignity, and respect are cornerstones of every society.”

Co-star George Takei tweeted that his heart was heavy, “my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend” and he would have more to say soon on the “incomparable” trailblazer.

I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise, and who passed today at age 89. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2022

Prominent Georgia Democrat and voting rights organizer Stacey Abrams , who is running again for the state governorship and is a longtime Star Trek fan, tweeted a picture of herself with Nichols.

“One of my most treasured photos – Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many,” she wrote. “May she forever dwell among the stars.”

One of my most treasured photos - Godspeed to Nichelle Nichols, champion, warrior and tremendous actor. Her kindness and bravery lit the path for many. May she forever dwell among the stars. #RIPNichelle #Uhura pic.twitter.com/nFXHif8HEC — Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) July 31, 2022

Star Trek brought Nichols enduring recognition and helped to break down some racial barriers in the television business, as they were rampant elsewhere.

She shared one of the first lip-to-lip interracial kisses on television – with co-star William Shatner, aka Captain Kirk. The kiss at the time was considered a forward-looking move on the part of the actors, as well as Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the network that broadcast the show, NBC.

The episode in question, titled Plato’s Stepchildren, aired in 1968 and was fashioned in a way that gave those involved something of an out from any potential discriminatory backlash: Uhura and Kirk did not choose to kiss but were instead made to do so after being inhabited by aliens.

Roddenberry had reportedly insisted on an integrated crew for Starship Enterprise – a bold move given that interracial marriage was still illegal in 17 US states. Only a year earlier, Variety reported, Sammy Davis Jr had gone no further than kiss Nancy Sinatra on the cheek on Movin’ With Nancy.

Nichols as Lt Uhura in a 1968 Star Trek episode

The original Star Trek premiered on NBC on 8 September 1966. Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future, the 23rd century, human diversity would be fully accepted.

“I think many people took it into their hearts … that what was being said on TV at that time was a reason to celebrate,” Nichols said in 1992 when a Star Trek exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian Institution.

She often recalled how civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was a fan of the show and praised her role.

She met him at a civil rights gathering in 1967, at a time when she had decided not to return for the show’s second season.

“When I told him I was going to miss my co-stars and I was leaving the show, he became very serious and said ‘You cannot do that’,” she told The Tulsa World in a 2008 interview.

“‘You’ve changed the face of television forever, and therefore, you’ve changed the minds of people’,” she said the civil rights leader told her.

Nichols said: “That foresight Dr King had was a lightning bolt in my life.”

More recently, she had a recurring role on television’s Heroes, playing the great-aunt of a young boy with mystical powers.

Nichols, trained as a dancer and also worked as a nightclub chanteuse, with the Washington Post reporting that she thought being cast in Star Trek would be a “nice stepping stone” to Broadway stage fame, not realizing that the TV show and her character would be an iconic and enduring smash hit.

Actor Wilson Cruz wrote on Twitter that “representation matters”.

Nichols “modeled it for us. With her very presence and her grace she shone a light on who we as people of color are and inspired us to reach for our potential,” he wrote . “Rest well, glittering diamond in the sky.”

Before we understood how much #RepresentationMatters #NichelleNichols modeled it for us. With her very presence & her grace she shone a light on who we as people of color are & inspired us to reach for our potential. Rest well glittering diamond in the sky https://t.co/DmeLFbg825 — Wilson Cruz (@wcruz73) July 31, 2022

The Smithsonian tweeted a picture of Lt Uhura’s iconic red mini-dress and noted that Nichols made “history for African American women in TV and film. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for Nasa.”

Today we remember Nichelle Nichols. She starred as Lieutenant Uhura on "Star Trek" wearing this uniform now in our @NMAAHC , making history for African American women in TV and film. Nichols also volunteered to recruit women and people of color for NASA. #BecauseOfHerStory pic.twitter.com/fZZqfGlomz — Smithsonian (@smithsonian) July 31, 2022

Nichols was born Grace Dell Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, on December 28 1932. According to the National Space Society , she sang as a 16-year-old with jazz great Duke Ellington – her career getting under way at an early age – in a ballet she created, and later joined his band.

Her big break in the 1961 Chicago musical Kicks and Co. Nichols later appeared in the title role in Carmen Jones and in a New York staging of Porgy and Bess as well as in Jean Genet’s The Blacks, and landed small film roles.

Nichols was married and divorced twice, and is survived by her son, Kyle Johnson.

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Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on ‘Star Trek,’ has died at 89

FILE - Actor Nichelle Nichols speaks during the Creation Entertainment's Official Star Trek Convention at The Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, Ill., Sunday, June 8, 2014. Nichols, who gained fame as Lt. Ntoya Uhura on the original "Star Trek" television series, died Saturday, July 30, 2022, her family said. She was 89. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Actor Nichelle Nichols speaks during the Creation Entertainment’s Official Star Trek Convention at The Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill., Sunday, June 8, 2014. Nichols, who gained fame as Lt. Ntoya Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, died Saturday, July 30, 2022, her family said. She was 89. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Actor Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Ntoya Uhura on ''Star Trek,’' waves as she arrives at the “Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond” tribute at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, Sunday, Oct. 6, 1996. Nichols died Saturday, July 30, 2022, her family said. She was 89. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

FILE - Members of the “Star Trek” crew, from left, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols, toast the newest “Star Trek” film during a news conference at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, Dec. 28, 1988. Nichols, who gained fame as Lt. Ntoya Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, died Saturday, July 30, 2022, at age 89. (AP Photo/Bob Galbraith, File)

FILE - Actor Nichelle Nichols expresses her support to striking members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) outside the gates of Paramount Pictures studios in Los Angeles, Monday, Dec. 10, 2007. Nichols, who gained fame as Lt. Ntoya Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, died Saturday, July 30, 2022, at age 89. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

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Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, has died at the age of 89.

Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico.

“Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration,” Johnson wrote on her official Facebook page Sunday. “Hers was a life well lived and as such a model for us all.”

Her role in the 1966-69 series earned Nichols a lifelong position of honor with the series’ rabid fans, known as Trekkers and Trekkies. It also earned her accolades for breaking stereotypes that had limited Black women to acting roles as servants and included an interracial onscreen kiss with co-star William Shatner that was unheard of at the time.

Shatner tweeted Sunday: “I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Nichelle. She was a beautiful woman & played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US & throughout the world.”

George Takei, who shared the bridge of the USS Enterprise with her as Sulu in the original “Star Trek” series, called her trailblazing and incomparable. “For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend,” he tweeted.

Nichols’ impact was felt far beyond her immediate co-stars, and many others in the “Star Trek” world also tweeted their condolences.

Celia Rose Gooding, who currently plays Uhura in “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” tweeted that Nichols “made room for so many of us. She was the reminder that not only can we reach the stars, but our influence is essential to their survival. Forget shaking the table, she built it.”

“Star Trek: Voyager” alum Kate Mulgrew tweeted, “Nichelle Nichols was The First. She was a trailblazer who navigated a very challenging trail with grit, grace, and a gorgeous fire we are not likely to see again.”

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.

The original “Star Trek” premiered on NBC on Sept. 8, 1966. Its multicultural, multiracial cast was creator Gene Roddenberry’s message to viewers that in the far-off future — the 23rd century — human diversity would be fully accepted.

“I think many people took it into their hearts ... that what was being said on TV at that time was a reason to celebrate,” Nichols said in 1992 when a “Star Trek” exhibit was on view at the Smithsonian Institution.

She often recalled how Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of the show and praised her role. She met him at a civil rights gathering in 1967, at a time when she had decided not to return for the show’s second season.

“When I told him I was going to miss my co-stars and I was leaving the show, he became very serious and said, ‘You cannot do that,’” she told The Tulsa (Okla.) World in a 2008 interview.

“‘You’ve changed the face of television forever, and therefore, you’ve changed the minds of people,’” she said the civil rights leader told her.

“That foresight Dr. King had was a lightning bolt in my life,” Nichols said.

During the show’s third season, Nichols’ character and Shatner’s Capt. James Kirk shared what was described as the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on a U.S. television series. In the episode, “Plato’s Stepchildren,” their characters, who always maintained a platonic relationship, were forced into the kiss by aliens who were controlling their actions.

AP entertainment correspondent Oscar Wells Gabriel reports on Obit Nichelle Nichols

The kiss “suggested that there was a future where these issues were not such a big deal,” Eric Deggans, a television critic for National Public Radio, told The Associated Press in 2018. “The characters themselves were not freaking out because a Black woman was kissing a white man ... In this utopian-like future, we solved this issue. We’re beyond it. That was a wonderful message to send.”

Worried about reaction from Southern television stations, showrunners wanted to film a second take of the scene where the kiss happened off-screen. But Nichols said in her book, “Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories,” that she and Shatner deliberately flubbed lines to force the original take to be used.

Despite concerns, the episode aired without blowback. In fact, it got the most “fan mail that Paramount had ever gotten on ‘Star Trek’ for one episode,” Nichols said in a 2010 interview with the Archive of American Television.

Born Grace Dell Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, Nichols hated being called “Gracie,” which everyone insisted on, she said in the 2010 interview. When she was a teen her mother told her she had wanted to name her Michelle, but thought she ought to have alliterative initials like Marilyn Monroe, whom Nichols loved. Hence, “Nichelle.”

Nichols first worked professionally as a singer and dancer in Chicago at age 14, 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 known as being unafraid to stand up to Shatner on the set when others complained that he was stealing scenes and camera time. They later learned she had a strong supporter in the show’s creator.

In her 1994 book, “Beyond Uhura,” she said she met Roddenberry when she guest starred on his show “The Lieutenant,” and the two had an affair a couple of years before “Star Trek” began. The two remained lifelong close friends.

Another fan of Nichols and the show was future astronaut Mae Jemison, who became the first black woman in space when she flew aboard the shuttle Endeavour in 1992.

In an AP interview before her flight, Jemison said she watched Nichols on “Star Trek” all the time, adding she loved the show. Jemison eventually got to meet Nichols.

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.

Nichols was placed under a court conservatorship in the control of her son Johnson, who said her mental decline made her unable to manage her affairs or make public appearances.

Some, including Nichols’ managers and her friend, film producer and actor Angelique Fawcett, objected to the conservatorship and sought more access to Nichols and to records of Johnson’s financial and other moves on her behalf. Her name was at times invoked at courthouse rallies that sought the freeing of Britney Spears from her own conservatorship.

But the court consistently sided with Johnson, and over the objections of Fawcett allowed him to move Nichols to New Mexico, where she lived with him in her final years.

Associated Press Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles. Former AP Writer Polly Anderson contributed biographical material to this report.

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Nyota Uhura

  • View history
  • 1.1 Early life
  • 1.2 Starfleet Academy
  • 1.3.1 First post
  • 1.3.2 Aboard the Ahriman and Potemkin
  • 1.3.3 Aboard the Enterprise (NCC-1701)
  • 1.3.4 Return to Earth and the second five year mission
  • 1.3.5 Assignment to the Excelsior
  • 1.3.6.1 Mission to the Quatrin system
  • 1.4 After the Enterprise
  • 1.5 Starfleet Intelligence
  • 1.6.1.1 Kimara Cretak
  • 1.6.1.2 Scott Heisenberg
  • 1.6.1.3 Curzon Dax
  • 2 Starfleet service record
  • 3.1 Connections
  • 3.2 External link
  • 3.3 Appearances

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Nyota Uhura was born in the year 2239 in the United States of Africa on Earth . ( ST reference : Star Trek Chronology )

The daughter of Alhamisi and M'Umbha Uhura , she was born in Kitui Province , Kenya . Her family's name is derived from the Swahili word Uhuru , which translates to "freedom", and her given name means "star". ( TOS episodes : " Is There in Truth No Beauty? ", " The Man Trap "; TOS novels : The Starless World , Uhura's Song ; TAS novelization : The Slaver Weapon )

As a child, Uhura lived with her parents in the coastal city of Mombasa where she was enrolled in several after-school classes, such as music and dance , swimming , gymnastics and languages . Once a year just after her birthday in January , she stayed for a month in the country with her grandparents and cousins. ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

At some time in her childhood, Uhura attended Public School 29 in Nairobi , where her teacher was Ms. Yemada . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

In the summer of 2249 , at the age of 10, Uhura learned sign language from her deaf cousin, Epala , while visiting her in Koyo . ( TOS novel : The Disinherited )

Also in 2249, Uhura was a student at the Institute for Advanced Mathematics , where her roommate was a girl named T'iana . There was a fire in their dorm room and T'iana was trapped under a fallen beam, and Uhura was lit ablaze. Uhura was unable to save T'iana before succumbing to the effects of the heat and fire. For years afterwards, Uhura would have dreams about T'iana's death and Uhura's subsequent rescue by adults. The fear recurred most vividly in 2269 when Uhura was part of the Enterprise crew facing a deadly heat effect that began in the Beta Castelli star system . ( TOS novel : The Three-Minute Universe )

In 2255 , just after her 16th birthday, Uhura traditionally killed an automated lion with a spear in East Africa. ( TAS novelization : The Slaver Weapon )

Shortly before Uhura entered the Academy, her father, Alhamisi, disappeared while on a deep space mission. ( TOS novel : The Starless World )

Her parents were teachers at the University of Nairobi . They and Nyota's brother were both killed in a shuttle accident. ( SNW episode : " Children of the Comet ")

Starfleet Academy [ ]

Uhura entered Starfleet Academy in 2257 ( Star Trek Chronology ), and studied at the Starfleet College of Communications . There, she learned spatial navigation, Duotronics , and cryptography skills under Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Finney . [ citation needed ]

Nyota Uhura 2250

Cadet Uhura.

Uhura's time as a cadet crossed over with the Academy career of James T. Kirk . When the Academy campus was locked down with an accusation of misconduct by Captain Matthew Decker , Uhura agreed to break curfew with Kirk and a group of other cadets to investigate the problem. They discovered that Decker's accusation was false, and had been planted in the computer as a test to see how the cadets would perform under pressure. Decker later congratulated the class for working together to prove their innocence, without fighting amongst themselves. ( TOS comic : " Starfleet Academy! ")

Cadet Uhura's roommate at the Academy was an Orion girl. The Orion girl's attitude did not impress Uhura, who later said the Orion was "full of it". Uhura remembered this quality of Orion women when she was involved in a fight with the Orion Emerald Empress in an alternate reality . ( TOS - Legion of Super-Heroes comic : " Issue 3 ")

Uhura's dear friend Trent Ojuremi failed to enter the Academy, and Uhura lost contact with him by her second year. However, she subconsciously retained her strong affections for him, which in 2266 were sensed by the M-113 creature . It thus took on a telepathic form of him and communicated in Swahili, telling her that it could feel her missing his presence. ( TOS novel : Across the Universe ; TOS episode : " The Man Trap ")

In 2259 , Uhura won the Jovian Triathlon . ( TOS novel : Assignment: Eternity )

She graduated from the academy in 2261 . ( ST website  : StarTrek.com )

Starfleet career [ ]

First post [ ].

Uhura's first command was at a location called Two Dawns . Here she met a Junior Diplomat from Eeiauo named Sunfall of Ennien . ( TOS novel : Uhura's Song )

Aboard the Ahriman and Potemkin [ ]

Uhura graduated from the Academy in 2261 and was assigned to the Saladin -class destroyer , USS Ahriman , as junior communications officer. While on a mission to Wynet V later that year, the Ahriman s commanding officer was killed. Shortly after, Uhura was promoted to lieutenant junior grade . ( TOS novel : The Tears of the Singers )

Shortly after, Lieutenant Uhura transferred to the Constitution -class USS Potemkin as junior communications officer. ( ST video game : Star Trek: Starship Creator )

Aboard the Enterprise (NCC-1701) [ ]

Uhura transferred aboard the USS Enterprise in 2262 as Chief Communications Officer, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike . Like the rest of the Enterprise crew at that time, she developed fierce loyalty for Captain Pike. So, when James T. Kirk assumed command in 2264 , she was unsure about the young captain. A skilled singer, she sometimes performed music and improv with Lieutenant j.g. Spock (a skilled lyre player) on the crew rec deck. Six years later, in 2270 , Lieutenant Arex , a harpist, joined. One of Uhura's favorite songs was "The Moon's a Window to Heaven". ( TOS novel : Enterprise: The First Adventure , TAS episode : " The Practical Joker ", TOS movie : Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , TOS episode : " Charlie X "; WizKids module : Attack Wing )

Nevertheless, Uhura's first conversation with Kirk saw him praise her father and express regret over his loss, thus earning Uhura's respect. ( TOS novel : The Starless World )

According to the elder Spock in TOS novelization : Star Trek , "In both our histories the same crew found its way onto the same ship in a time of ultimate crisis." This may imply that there is an untold story set in the prime timeline in which Kirk's crew faced an extremely serious challenge while still a new and untested unit.

Following the three-month voyage around the Federation Phalanx in 2264, Uhura was temporarily re-assigned, leaving Lt. Commander Daniel Alden to assume her former post. She returned to the Enterprise in 2265 when Alden transferred off the ship. This period just before the exchange of duties saw her relationship with Kabaka Buganda . ( TOS novel : Enterprise , TOS comic : " The D'Artagnan Three ")

In her first assignment back aboard the Enterprise , Uhura commandeered a shuttlecraft so that she could rescue Captain Kirk and a landing party from a group of Klingons that had captured them. It was around this occasion her department colors switched from gold to red. ( TOS comic : " Uhura's Story ") Uhura also helped adjust the Universal translator during the initial First contact with the Archernarians of Archernar IV just before she, Capts. Kirk, Cassady , and an away team appeared before them. ( TOS comic : " Mission's End, Issue 1 ")

Shortly after the Enterprise 's first encounter with Harcourt Fenton Mudd , Uhura went to Captain Kirk and requested to be reassigned from the command division to the engineering and services division. Kirk was not happy with this decision and grilled her about throwing away her command abilities and leadership potential, however, despite his disappointment, he approved her transfer. ( TOS novel : The Fire and the Rose )

Later that year, following the Romulan attack on the Neutral Zone outposts, she was promoted to full Lieutenant , after she deciphered the Romulan micropulse code . ( TOS novelization : Balance of Terror )

The start of 2267 marked Uhura's stint on Enterprise with being complimented as a Nubian (of ancient Egypt ) by the Q called Trelane . ( TOS episode : " The Squire of Gothos ") Weeks afterwards, she was temporarily re-assigned to the USS Lexington , under the command of Commodore Robert Wesley , to aid with communications with an alien race from the Gamma Xaridian system . ( TOS novel : The Disinherited )

Later on in 2267, Uhura was reunited with Trent Ojuremi on the planet Merope IV , when the Enterprise transported survivors from the Stephen Hawking to the planet. ( TOS novel : Across the Universe ) Towards the end of this year, Uhura's memory was erased, by the Nomad / Tan-Ru probe. A natural fast learner, she was re-educated from her mother-tongue of Bantu Swahili back to English . ( TOS episode : " The Changeling ")

In 2268 , Uhura was instrumental in finding a cure for the ADF syndrome that had struck the planet Eeiauo . Remembering songs that she and an Eeiauoan friend sang at the Academy, she directed the Enterprise to the planet Sivao , which was the long-forgotten homeworld of the Eeiauoans. ( TOS novel : Uhura's Song )

The culmination of her trust and respect for Kirk over the past half decade surfaced when she admitted to him how the sound of his voice calmed her in times of shipboard crisis. ( TOS episode : " Plato's Stepchildren ", TOS novel : Ex Machina ) Though it was never made public, the two may have shared a relationship on the border between professional and intimate. An example of this is when Kirk was quick to defend her, while she was assaulted by a thrall on Triskelion . ( TOS episode : " The Gamesters of Triskelion ") One of her lesser-known (and quite embarrassing) moments was her inadvertently seeing Kirk's "birthday suit". This happened, of course, while she made a special errand to Kirk's quarters on March 22nd. ( TOS short story : " Surprise! ")

Uhura finally got a shot at command in 2269 . After all of the male Enterprise crewmembers were lured down to Taurus II by the enchanting women on the planet, Uhura was forced to assume command. ( TAS novelization : The Lorelei Signal ) She assumed command once again during the ship's conflict with the Crusaders on Ephrata IV when Kirk, Spock and Sulu were trapped on the planet and Scotty was seriously injured in an attack, leaving Uhura the highest-ranking bridge officer. Despite her initial fears, Uhura not only won a game of 'chicken' with Crusader Sokis when he threatened to use a gravity beam to make the Enterprise crash into the planet (Correctly deducing that Sokis needed Enterprise too much to actually destroy it), but was able to devise a plan to defeat the Crusaders' brainwashing. ( TOS novel : The Weight of Worlds )

Return to Earth and the second five year mission [ ]

When the Enterprise returned to Earth in 2270 , following the completion of the five-year mission , Uhura took a post at Starfleet Academy teaching special communications. ( TOS novels : The Lost Years , Traitor Winds )

In 2271 , Uhura was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and re-assigned to the newly-refitted Enterprise as chief communications officer. She also used an updated version of linguacode , first ciphered by Hoshi Sato , in the 22nd Century. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Motion Picture , ST website  : StarTrek.com )

Uhura was assigned to cadet training and Starfleet Command Communications in 2277 . ( ST website  : StarTrek.com )

In 2285 , Uhura was promoted to full Commander . Later that same year, she received much criticism for choosing a posting at Earth spacedock 's transporter room and communication ops. Her eager assistant, " Mr. Adventure " was one to question her choice, which had appealed to her desire for more "peace and quiet" after the recent events of the Genesis affair. This may have been her first calling to covert operations, as this was all a stage to grant Admiral Kirk's party safe passage back to the de-commissioned Enterprise . She later made rendezvous with them on Vulcan , having used the transporter system to travel to the Vulcan Embassy on Earth. At the behest of Ambassador Sarek , they were all granted clemency and asylum from Starfleet jurisdiction for rescuing his son Spock from a non-sanctioned Klingon incursion to the Genesis planet, a galactic controversy of its time. ( ST website  : StarTrek.com , TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Search for Spock )

Assignment to the Excelsior [ ]

Following the destruction of the Enterprise in 2285 , Captain Kirk and the command staff are reassigned to the USS Excelsior , Uhura joins them and is assigned as Chief Communications Officer. ( TOS comic : " Masquerade! ")

Shortly after, Uhura accompanies Sulu and Lt. William Bearclaw to investigate the smuggling of dilithium crystals . The party discovered that the smugglers were also slavers, and managed to engineer the smugglers capture. ( TOS comic : " The D'Artagnan Three ")

Assignment to the Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) [ ]

Following the Cetacean Probe crisis on 2286 , Commander Uhura was assigned to the newly-launched USS Enterprise -A . ( TOS novelization : Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Later that year, Uhura joined with the renegade Vulcan Sybok , when he took over the Enterprise and used the ship to penetrate the Great Barrier , to find the legendary planet Sha Ka Ree . It was at this time she confessed her affections toward Montgomery Scott , while the two were alone. Even though her emotions were uninhibited on this occasion, he kept composed and decided to maintain a Platonic relationship. Scott, however, had told her she was one of the most understanding women (besides Enterprise ) he had known. ( TOS movie , novelization & comic adaptation : The Final Frontier )

Mission to the Quatrin system [ ]

In 2287 , while on shore leave in the Quatrain system , Uhura and Sulu witnessed a multiple murder. Fortunately, one of the victims survived and was beamed aboard the Enterprise for treatment. The Quatrain security agency began to investigate the murders and insisted that Uhura and Sulu appear before a board of inquiry to give evidence.

Meanwhile, the Quatrain security director learned that the survivor identified one of his men as the murderer to Captain Kirk, and ordered his second-in-command to kill Uhura and Sulu before they could beam back to the Enterprise . Sulu managed to stop the killer, but was wounded in the attempt, and Uhura managed to steal a shuttlecraft and headed to the nearby ice planet, Beta , with Sulu.

After arriving on Beta, Uhura headed off to find medical help for Sulu, and encountered a group of Betan rebels who lent assistance and treated Sulu, in exchange for Uhura's help with their communications equipment. At the Betan encampment, Uhura was captured by the security forces, but managed to get a message to the Enterprise and Commander Chekov and a security team rescued her. ( TOS comics : " Veritas ", " Sacrifices and Survivors ", " Danger...On Ice ", " Cold Comfort ")

After the Enterprise [ ]

Following the Praxis incident in 2293 , Uhura once again began teaching at Starfleet Academy. A few months later Uhura joined Captain Spock and Dr. McCoy on a diplomatic mission to Qo'noS to improve relations, and began working with Klingon musicians and singers to exchange musical ideas and theories. ( TOS novel : The Last Roundup )

Also in 2293 , Uhura left Starfleet and became the Senior Vice President in charge of Procurement and Delivery for Inter-Galactic Systems . She was happily stationed somewhere between Earth and Mars when James T. Kirk enlisted her to help save Hikaru Sulu . She had no future intention of re-joining Starfleet . She even went so far as to state that the only reason she joined the rescue party was out of loyalty to James T. Kirk . ( TOS novel : The Fearful Summons )

In 2294 , Captain Spock assumed command of the Oberth -class USS Intrepid II , and Commander Uhura came aboard as first officer , for the ship's shakedown cruise. Following the diversion to the planet Obsidian , Spock resigned his Starfleet commission, and Uhura was promoted to captain and given command of the Intrepid II . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Forge )

At some point afterwards that year, Uhura tracked down her former crewmate, Montgomery Scott, and asked him gently to move on with life and quit blaming himself following the loss of Captain Kirk, and expressed her condolences and her regret at being unable to make it to the memorial. ( ST novel : Engines of Destiny )

In the early 24th century , Uhura commanded the USS Leondegrance . ( PIC episodes : " Remembrance ", " The Star Gazer ", DS9 novel : The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko )

By the 2300s , Captain Uhura was in command of the USS Hermes , and in 2310 , the Hermes took aboard Doctors Gillian Taylor and Carol Marcus , who planned to test an experimental Genesis Device on the planet Pacifica . However, Marcus and Taylor encountered intelligent life in Pacifica's ocean and the plan was abandoned. ( TOS short story : " The Hero of My Own Life ")

Starfleet Intelligence [ ]

UhuraCatalystofSorrows

Admiral Uhura.

Uhura was first approached by operatives of Starfleet Intelligence on Khitomer following the attempted assassination of Federation President Ra-ghoratreii in 2293 . They offered her a spot in S.I., which Uhura accepted.

For the rest of her Starship career, even when she commanded the Hermes , she was passing on things that she heard on to Starfleet Intelligence. She never spied on Starfleet personnel, only passing on information that she heard on the subspace frequencies. ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

In the years that followed Uhura gradually made her way up the chain of command at Starfleet Intelligence, eventually making her way to the top of the department. She maintained the rank of captain, in part to retain a low profile, but had security clearances higher than some admirals.

In the year 2343 , Captain Uhura traveled to Starbase 47 in the midst of the Betreka Nebula Incident to personally assign operative Elias Vaughn to assess the situation on Raknal IV . ( TLE novel : The Art of the Impossible )

In 2344 , Uhura made an unofficial request to Commander Saavik of the USS Armstrong to travel to Romulus and bring back Spock , who had answered a summons sent by a Romulan officer named Charvanek . ( TOS novel : Vulcan's Heart )

In 2360 , Admiral Uhura sent a team that included Lieutenants Benjamin Sisko , Selar and Tuvok on a covert mission behind the borders of the Romulan Star Empire to gather intelligence on the virulent disease called the gnawing that had been afflicting the Empire. ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

Admiral Uhura remained working in Starfleet Intelligence throughout the Dominion War and the Watraii affair of 2377 . As of 2377, she is 138 years old. ( TOS novels : Exodus , Exiles )

Personal life [ ]

In 2360 , Uhura lived alone in a house built into a hillside overlooking the Muir Woods in California on Earth . ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

Friendships and relationships [ ]

Kimara cretak [ ].

Uhura met Kimara Cretak at the Khitomer Conference in 2293 when the Romulan was serving as an aide to Senator Pardek . Although they never met face-to-face again, they kept in touch via specially coded subspace signals . ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

Scott Heisenberg [ ]

Lieutenant junior grade Scott Heisenberg was unceremoniously locked in a closet at phaser-point in the Old City Station transporter room by Uhura in 2285 . Months later in 2286 , Uhura ran into Heisenberg at Starfleet Headquarters where he admitted to her that it wasn't the phaser she'd pointed at him that scared him, but rather the look she gave him after he called her a "space veteran" and remarked that "her career was winding down". Despite this rather rocky start, the two became friends and Heisenberg ended up working for Uhura in Starfleet Intelligence . ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

Curzon Dax [ ]

By 2360 , Uhura and Curzon Dax were very good friends. In fact, Curzon wanted a little more than just friendship and actively flirted with Uhura, mostly to no avail. ( TLE novel : Catalyst of Sorrows )

When Nero and Ambassador Spock were sent back to the 23rd century , causing what was called the Kelvin timeline after Nero's assault of the USS Kelvin , a photo of Uhura and Spock's crewmates aboard the USS Enterprise -A was among the personal effects bequeathed to the alternate Spock after Ambassador Spock passed away in the year 2263 . ( TOS movie : Beyond )

In stories by Benny Russell , Uhura was a character created by Russell. ( DS9 short story : " The Dreamer and the Dream ")

Starfleet service record [ ]

  • Personal log , Nyota Uhura

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], external link [ ].

  • Nyota Uhura article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .

Appearances [ ]

  • 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
  • 2 The Chase
  • 3 Preserver (race)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Merritt Butrick, and Robin Curtis in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

  • Leonard Nimoy
  • Gene Roddenberry
  • Harve Bennett
  • William Shatner
  • DeForest Kelley
  • 263 User reviews
  • 94 Critic reviews
  • 56 Metascore
  • 1 win & 7 nominations

Trailer

  • (as Frank Force)

DeForest Kelley

  • Trainee Foster

Scott McGinnis

  • 'Mr. Adventure'

Robert Hooks

  • Admiral Morrow

Carl Steven

  • Spock...Age 9
  • Spock...Age 13

Stephen Manley

  • Spock...Age 17
  • Spock...Age 25
  • All cast & crew
  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Did you know

  • Trivia In the opening credits, there is a six-second-long pause between William Shatner and DeForest Kelley 's names, where Leonard Nimoy 's name would normally be. It's only one second between each of the other names.
  • Goofs [27:49]When Kirk checks the video logs to find the keeper of Spock's katra, the timestamp reveals that Spock melded with McCoy on stardate 8128.78. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) begins on stardate 8130.3.

[Witnessing the destruction of the Enterprise]

Kirk : [1:15:58] My God, Bones... what have I done?

McCoy : What you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.

  • Crazy credits Leonard Nimoy is credited as director in the opening credits, but is not included in the cast list. There is a long gap between the names of William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , which lasts for the length of time Nimoy's name would have been displayed.
  • Alternate versions Some network broadcasts are noticeably truncated. In particular, the scene where Kruge destroys the female mercenary for looking at the Genesis information is deleted. The scene ends instead with the two characters expressing love for each other. The scene where McCoy refers to "that green-blooded son-of-a-bitch" is also censored.
  • Connections Edited from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) by Alexander Courage

User reviews 263

  • Mar 31, 2019
  • How long is Star Trek III: The Search for Spock? Powered by Alexa
  • If Genesis resurrected Spock, why couldn't it do the same for David?
  • Why was the captain of the Grissom so shocked, and for that matter, the crew of the Enterprise surprised when the Klingon Bird Of Prey decloaked? They knew about cloaking technology. They learned about it in The Enterprise Incident (#3.2) on the original series
  • Why does Star Trek III look cheaper than Wrath of Khan yet cost more?
  • June 1, 1984 (United States)
  • United States
  • StarTrek.com (United States)
  • Star Trek III: In Search of Spock
  • Occidental College - 1600 Campus Road, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California, USA (near the end, stairs and fountain on planet Vulcan)
  • Paramount Pictures
  • Cinema Group Ventures
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro
  • $17,000,000 (estimated)
  • $76,471,046
  • $16,673,295
  • Jun 3, 1984

Technical specs

  • Runtime 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Dolby Surround 7.1

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Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Merritt Butrick, and Robin Curtis in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

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" A Dying Planet. A Fight For Life. The Search For Spock. "

" All that they loved, all that they fought for, all that they stood for will now be put to the test… Join us on this, the final voyage of the starship Enterprise . "

Admiral James T. Kirk's defeat of Khan and the creation of the Genesis planet are empty victories. Spock is dead and McCoy is inexplicably being driven insane. An unexpected visit from Sarek, Spock's father, provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock's living essence. With one friend alive and one not, but both in pain, Kirk attempts to help his friends by stealing the Enterprise and defying Starfleet's Genesis planet quarantine. But the Klingons have also learned of Genesis and race to meet Kirk in a deadly rendezvous.

  • 1.1 Act One
  • 1.2 Act Two
  • 1.3 Act Three
  • 2 Log entries
  • 3 Memorable quotes
  • 4.1.1 Spock's rebirth
  • 4.1.2 Destruction of the Enterprise
  • 4.1.3 Deleted scenes
  • 4.1.4.1 Concept art
  • 4.1.4.2 Production gallery
  • 4.1.4.3 Publicity photos
  • 4.5.1 Trivia
  • 4.6.1 Awards and honors
  • 4.7 Merchandise gallery
  • 4.8 Apocrypha
  • 5.1.1 Opening credits
  • 5.1.2 Closing credits
  • 5.2.1 LCARS references
  • 5.2.2 Meta references
  • 5.2.3 Unreferenced material
  • 5.3 External links

Summary [ ]

Act one [ ].

USS Enterprise battle damage

Limping home

As a result of Khan Noonien Singh 's attempt to kill James T. Kirk using the Genesis Device , Spock is dead and a new planet has been created from matter within the Mutara Nebula . Dejected over the loss of Spock, the crew returns to port aboard the Enterprise for essential repairs to their ship, which was severely damaged in the fierce battle against Khan .

A little over two hours away from the Spacedock One , Kirk asks Commander Pavel Chekov to take the science station – Spock's old post – for a pre-approach scan. He asks Uhura about an inquiry he made on Project Genesis : Uhura replies that there was not yet a response from Starfleet Command , which he finds odd. He then gets a status report from Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott , who says automation will be ready in time for docking, and states he can have the ship repaired for her next cruise within two weeks, compared to his usual recommended repair time of eight weeks. Kirk observes that Scott always multiplies his repair estimates by a factor of four in order to maintain his reputation as a miracle worker. Before leaving the bridge , handing Hikaru Sulu the command con, Foster , one of the few remaining Starfleet Academy cadets still aboard asks if a reception will greet them when they arrive at Earth. " A hero's welcome, son? Is that what you'd like? " Kirk asks the cadet. He adds in observation, " Well, God knows there should be. This time we paid for the party with our dearest blood. " With that, he enters an empty turbolift and becomes emotional about the loss of his old friend as the lift descends towards his quarters .

Kruge receives the tape

Kruge learns about Genesis

Meanwhile, somewhere off in space, a freighter with a female Klingon, Valkris , awaits somebody. That somebody is her lover, the warrior Kruge , who suddenly decloaks in a Klingon Bird-of-Prey , which dwarfs the freighter. Once there, she transmits data to the Bird-of-Prey, which from brief flashes can be ascertained to relate to Project Genesis. When Valkris reveals that she had seen the data, Kruge reluctantly determines that she must die, and subtly relays this to Valkris, who understands. After conveying their mutual admiration for each other, Kruge destroys the freighter with the Bird-of-Prey's disruptors . This also means he does not need to pay the freighter's crew for their work. After the freighter's destruction, he sets course for the Federation-Klingon neutral zone and orders one of his crew to feed his pet .

USS Enterprise entering the Earth Spacedock

Welcome home, Enterprise

The Enterprise reaches Earth and approaches the mammoth Spacedock One . During the approach, they see a new ship: USS Excelsior , a part of " The Great Experiment ", an attempt at transwarp drive . Although Sulu seems to be in awe of the possible capabilities of the ship, Scott is less than impressed, commenting " If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon… " " Come, come, Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas. Be tolerant, " Kirk gently chides him. After the Enterprise is moored at the spacedock, Chekov, who is sitting at the science station, notes to Kirk that someone has entered Spock's quarters. When Uhura adds that the sealed room's door was forced open, Kirk goes down to investigate. After running down a corridor to Spock's quarters flanked by two security guards, he slowly enters through the damaged doors and, inside, he hears Spock's voice. " Jim, help me. You left me… on Genesis. Why did you do that? Help me… " Kirk runs forward and grabs the shadowed figure, finding the individual to be Dr. Leonard McCoy , mumbling about locations on Vulcan , particularly Mount Seleya , before fainting. Kirk calls Uhura to send medics to Spock's quarters, immediately.

Kirk holds McCoy

" Uhura, get the medics down here! Get them now! "

Once Enterprise is docked, they are met by Fleet Admiral Morrow , Commander, Starfleet . In the ship's torpedo bay , he states that all crewmembers will be given the highest commendation of the Federation as well as extended shore leave , all except for Commander Scott who is being promoted to Captain and will serve as chief engineer aboard the Excelsior . Scott appreciates the sentiment, but would rather remain and help with the refit of the Enterprise. Morrow explains that the Enterprise is not to be refit, but is to be decommissioned instead. When Kirk protests, Morrow states to him, " Jim, the Enterprise is twenty years old. We feel her day is over. " Kirk voices his hope that one day, the Enterprise will be able to return to Genesis, but Morrow says that is out of the question, as, in Kirk's absence, Genesis has become a galactic controversy. Morrow orders the Enterprise crew that they are not to discuss with anyone their knowledge about Genesis. " Consider it a quarantined planet… and a forbidden subject. "

Grissom sensor scan

Life from lifelessness?

On the Bird-of-Prey, Kruge and his most trusted officers, Maltz and Torg , view the data on Project Genesis . The Klingons are impressed by the power, but Kruge bristles at the idea of the Federation making new planets for themselves. He resolves to travel to Genesis and seize whatever information he can. Kruge regards what he calls the " Genesis torpedo " as a powerful weapon, not a means of creating life. After he dismisses Maltz, he tells Torg that they will seize the secret of this supposed "weapon" for the preservation of their race.

The USS Grissom , with Lieutenant Saavik and Dr. David Marcus aboard, arrives at Genesis and begins using sensors to explore the surface. During the initial scans of the planet's biosphere, its sensor scans discover Spock's photon torpedo casket on the surface harboring a lifeform that they cannot identify. Saavik and David Marcus try to convince Captain J.T. Esteban to allow them to beam down and investigate closer. Due to the sensitive nature of Genesis, Esteban keeps Starfleet in the loop with their every move. However, he reluctantly permits them to beam down and check it out.

Flight recorder

Kirk reviews the Battle in the Mutara Nebula

At Kirk's apartment in San Francisco on Earth, he, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura toast to "absent friends." Kirk reveals that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned. McCoy is sedated at home, apparently suffering "exhaustion," and promises he will behave himself. A chime at the door is anticipated by Kirk to be Scott, but is instead Sarek , who demands a word alone with him. After Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura leave, Sarek is upset that Kirk did not follow what would have been Spock's final wishes, but Kirk is unaware of any particular request Spock would have made, and had no physical contact with him in the immediate moment of his death. Sarek believed Kirk would hold Spock's katra , his living spirit, but after conducting a mind meld with Kirk, Sarek does not find it – since they were on opposite sides of a wall, Spock would not have been able to meld with him. Sarek dejectedly says that, since the katra was not passed to Kirk, all of Spock is lost forever and silently turns to leave.

Before he reaches the door, Kirk asks him to wait, since he knows that, if the katra is as important as Sarek suggests, one way or another, Spock would have found some way to save it. After reviewing flight recorder tapes from the time of Spock's death, they find out that it was Dr. McCoy that received his katra . Although it will be very difficult, Kirk swears to Sarek he will get Spock's body back and return him and Dr. McCoy to Mount Seleya on Vulcan so they can find peace.

Vulcan burial robe

The search is on

Back at Genesis, Saavik and David transport down to the surface to conduct a closer examination of the unidentified lifeform. The duo discovers them to be an evolved form of microbe that had been present on the casket's surface when it was launched from the Enterprise . Opening the casket, they are puzzled to find Spock's body missing entirely, although they recover his burial robe. Before the scientists can speculate further, they are interrupted by what sounds like somebody screaming in the distance, and Saavik and Marcus set off to find the source.

Act Two [ ]

Kirk and Morrow

" The word is no. I am therefore going anyway. "

Kirk's attempt to get the Enterprise back runs afoul of Admiral Morrow. In a bar at Starfleet Headquarters , despite Kirk's plea, Morrow does not give him back Enterprise , and explicitly orders him not to return to Genesis, warning him, as a friend, to stop obsessing over this or it will ruin his career and he will destroy himself. Considering Morrow's words for just a moment, Kirk tells the admiral that he hears him and says he had to at least try. Kirk thanks Morrow for the drink and gets up to leave. Upon seeing Sulu and Chekov standing near the bar's exit, Kirk tells them, " The word – is "no." I am therefore going anyway. " With the help of his loyal crew, Kirk then begins to put his plan into motion.

Meanwhile, Dr. McCoy, influenced by the katra , attempts to charter a black market civilian ship to Genesis, independent of his shipmates' efforts. Upon meeting his nameless alien contact, McCoy attempts to negotiate terms of passage without revealing the exact details of his ultimate destination, but the alien presses harder, and as the conversation escalates, McCoy reveals that the destination is the Genesis planet. The alien refuses very loudly, due to the planet's recent forbidden status, but McCoy persists when he is interrupted by Federation Security and arrested. He tries to nerve pinch the security officer, but is unsuccessful. " You're going to have a nice, long rest doctor, " the officer says while McCoy raises an eyebrow. Kirk and Sulu are subsequently forced to rescue the doctor. In the process they assault Federation personnel and the trio barely escape from the brig before the security officers arrive.

Kirk Vulcan salute

" How many fingers do I have up? "

Despite being reassigned to Excelsior , Scott has been secretly making essential repairs to the Enterprise in addition to slaving the ship's controls to the main bridge. The commanding officer of the Excelsior , Captain Lawrence H. Styles , makes an offhanded remark to Scott about looking forward to breaking the speed records of the Enterprise the next day, which doesn't sit well with Scott at all. After asking the Excelsior 's turbolift to take him to the transporter room and the computer thanks him, he responds " Up your shaft. " Uhura accepts a post as a transporter operator at Old City Station in San Francisco , with the covert task of beaming Kirk and company aboard the Enterprise at the required moment. Kirk and his crew arrive in the transporter station and Uhura locks the junior officer in the closet while she beams the officers to the Enterprise . Before she energizes she tells her friends that she will meet them at rendezvous point and says to Kirk " all my hopes " and the crew are beamed to Enterprise , which is still docked within spacedock.

USS Enterprise exiting the Earth Spacedock

" Someone is stealing the Enterprise ! "

Scott has set up an automation system to allow control of the Enterprise just from the bridge. " A chimpanzee and two trainees could run her, " he assures the admiral. Although Kirk cannot ask his friends to go further, and that only he and McCoy must continue, Sulu, Chekov, and Scott hear none of it and insist on joining the flight. Kirk orders one-quarter impulse and the Enterprise begins its departure from spacedock. Unable to stop the Enterprise from opening the massive bay doors in spacedock, the Excelsior is ordered to pursue. Styles sends a message to Kirk threatening him that if he goes through with this he will never sit in a captain's chair again. Kirk considers this for a brief moment but refuses to give up on Spock. " Warp speed, " Kirk orders Sulu. The Enterprise engages warp drive. Styles prepares to send the Excelsior into transwarp to intercept the Enterprise as soon as possible. However, due to sabotage carried out on its transwarp computer drive by Scott, the Excelsior 's transwarp drive fails to activate and comes to a rough halt as the Enterprise escapes at warp speed. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise , Scott hands McCoy a handful of parts from Excelsior 's transwarp drive computer as a souvenir " from one surgeon to another. " Commenting on the excellent work, Kirk jokes that he will recommend his crew for promotions… " in whatever fleet we end up serving. " The Enterprise goes to its best possible speed, bound for Genesis.

Spock as a young boy on Genesis

The Vulcan child

Unaware of events back in the Sol system, Saavik and Dr. Marcus locate a young Vulcan boy in the snow among large cactus and conclude that it is Spock, somehow regenerated by the same process that created the Genesis planet. Relaying this surprising information to the Grissom , Captain Esteban is reluctant to permit Spock to be beamed aboard the ship immediately, and would prefer to contact Starfleet Command to receive instructions. This turns out to be fortuitous; shortly afterward, Kruge's Bird-of-Prey decloaks. The USS Grissom is unintentionally destroyed by a "lucky shot" from the ship's gunner. Kruge is furious, as he had desired to take the science ship, and its data, intact, and the crew as prisoners. Kruge summarily executes the gunner, vaporizing him with his disruptor. Torg points out to Kruge that there are life signs on the planet and surmises that it is a landing party , which pleases Kruge. Now marooned on the surface and in danger of being captured, Saavik, Marcus, and Spock flee to more defensible ground.

The cruise of Enterprise to the Genesis planet goes well. As Kirk asks for a scan ahead for any vessels pursuing the stolen Federation ship, Dr. McCoy, who is at the science station, gives an impression of Spock while reporting that they have not detected any vessels in pursuit of the Enterprise , to Kirk's amusement. Later on, Chekov reports that Starfleet is transmitting a message to Grissom , warning them of the approach of the stolen Enterprise , but that Grissom is not responding. Kirk wonders aloud what Grissom is up to, having not responded to earlier messages, and wonders how the science vessel will respond when Enterprise arrives at Genesis: whether she'll join Enterprise or fire on her. He orders Chekov to break radio silence and send his compliments to Captain Esteban.

Saavik and Spock pon farr

Vulcan mating season

Kruge and several members of his crew beam to the surface of the Genesis planet to pursue the surviving crew of the Grissom . Saavik finally finds out why the Genesis planet is changing so rapidly: David had used protomatter in the Genesis matrix, a substance known to be unstable. The Genesis planet is not likely to remain stable for very long, and it is causing the rapid evolution of the lifeforms on the planet as well as making Spock age rapidly. As night falls on the planet, David guards the location where he, Saavik and Spock are hiding. After discussing Spock's difficult adolescence that lies ahead of him, David detects life forms approaching their position from his tricorder . Saavik offers to confront them but David instead insists on intercepting them, asking for her phaser . Later, Spock, now aged to adolescence, begins to experience pon farr . Saavik determines that the only way Spock will make it through this portion of his accelerated growth would be for her to mate with him.

USS Enterprise and Klingon Bird-of-Prey face-off

Sitting duck

Spock, David Marcus, and Saavik on Genesis

Spock, Saavik, and David held prisoner by Kruge

As Enterprise approaches the Genesis planet, they briefly detect a ship, but it vanishes. They scan the planet, looking for life on it, and attempt to hail the Grissom . Meanwhile, as day breaks at their hiding place, Saavik and Spock are captured by the Klingons, as well as a beaten David Marcus. Kruge demands to know the secrets of the Genesis Project, but neither Marcus nor Saavik are forthcoming, and tell Kruge that the project was a failure. Shortly after, Kruge returns to his Bird-of-Prey to confront the Enterprise . As they sneak closer, Kirk and Sulu notice spatial distortions caused by the Bird-of-Prey's cloaking device. As soon as the Klingon vessel decloaks, Enterprise reflexively fires two photon torpedoes, both hitting the Bird-of-Prey's hull . The advantage proves short-lived however as, after the initial shock of being hit, the Klingons swiftly regain control of their vessel and bear down on the Enterprise . Chekov tries to raise the Enterprise 's shields , but finds the system non-responsive, and Scott reports that the automation system is overloading under the strain of the unexpected combat situation. The Bird-of-Prey fires one plasma charge , which strikes the Enterprise near the bridge, causing a series of internal explosions. The crew recovers and Kirk orders emergency power be engaged and to return fire; before Scott can do so though, the helm console sparks and bursts into flames, and Scott grimly informs Kirk that the automation system has been destroyed by the Klingon blast, leaving him having no control over any system, the ship dead in space. " So – we're a sitting duck, " Kirk grimly notes.

David Marcus' death

" Admiral, David is dead. "

Kirk falls from his chair

" You Klingon bastards, you've killed my son! "

Aboard the Bird-of-Prey, Kruge becomes suspicious that the Enterprise isn't putting up more of a fight, considering it has far heavier armaments than his ship. Kirk then hails the Bird-of-Prey, demanding that the crew surrender within two minutes or face destruction. Kruge determines that Enterprise is less of a threat than Kirk is letting on, and calls Kirk's bluff, ordering him to surrender instead. He reveals that he has prisoners on the surface. Both Marcus and Saavik speak to Kirk by communicator and Saavik reveals that Spock is with them, alive. Marcus says that he can't believe that Kruge would kill them for Genesis, since the project was a failure. Kruge challenges that by ordering his men on the surface to kill any one of the prisoners. One of the men stalks behind the Grissom prisoners with his d'k tahg knife unsheathed. He chooses Saavik. However, as he rears back to sink the blade into the Vulcan's back, Marcus jumps backward and attacks the Klingon. Thoroughly outmatched physically, Marcus is knocked down and stabbed through the heart, while both Spock and Saavik can only watch and do nothing. With the Klingon communicator forced in her face, Saavik simply intones, " Admiral, David is dead. "

NCC-1701 disintegrates

The death of the Enterprise

Completely devastated, Kirk stumbles back, and falls to the deck in front of his chair, cursing the Klingons for the needless death of his only son. Kruge is unmoved however, and threatens to have Saavik and Spock killed if Kirk refuses to surrender. The admiral finally gives in, and Kruge gives Kirk two minutes to prepare to be boarded. After taking a moment to quietly grieve David's death, Kirk consults with Sulu as to the crew numbers of a Bird-of-Prey, realizing that their only chance of survival is to eliminate as many of the Klingons as possible in one go. Kirk orders McCoy and Sulu to go to the transporter room and set beam-down coordinates for the planet below, while he, Scott, and Chekov activate the ship's auto-destruct sequence from the science station. With the sixty-second countdown begun, Kirk, Scott, and Chekov make a hasty departure to the transporter room, and then the five crewmembers leave the Enterprise for the last time. Moments later, the Klingons board the ship and begin stalking their way to the bridge. Torg becomes suspicious while storming through the Enterprise 's corridors with his men, finding no crewmembers to confront them.

USS Enterprise self destructs

"My God, Bones… what have I done?"

USS Enterprise streaking in Genesis sky

The Enterprise burning in Genesis' atmosphere

Arriving on the bridge, Torg signals Kruge and informs him the ship is deserted, the only voice coming from the computer as it counts down to zero. Kruge frantically tries to warn his crew to get off the ship; however, it is too late and the auto-destruct detonates: the bridge is engulfed in explosions that instantly kill the Klingon boarding party. As the saucer disintegrates in a series of explosions, a final detonation destroys the primary hull and knocks the lifeless hulk that was once the USS Enterprise out of orbit and into the atmosphere of Genesis. Safe on the planet's surface, Kirk, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, and Chekov watch on a plateau as their starship streaks across the atmosphere, burning up when it contacts the planet's atmosphere. Blinking hard to fight back tears, Kirk asks McCoy for guidance. All McCoy can offer is that Kirk did what he had to do and what he always has done: turn death into a fighting chance to live.

Act Three [ ]

Kirk watches Genesis destruct

Kirk observes Armageddon

Sulu detects lifeforms with his tricorder only a few kilometers away, and more worryingly that the planet's structure is beginning to totally destabilize. In that direction, Spock is going through a series of painful physical changes. He throws one of his two remaining Klingon guards to their death. The Enterprise crew finds them, and Kirk shoots the remaining Klingon. As McCoy examines Spock, who is now physically near his actual age, Kirk tends to David's body, covering him with his jacket. Saavik tells Kirk he gave his life to save her and Spock. McCoy says Spock is rapidly aging, but has no mind; McCoy suspects he possesses all of Spock's mentality .

Kirk taunts Kruge, who is mourning his crew, as a way to goad him into beaming them aboard the ship before the planet destroys itself. Kruge himself beams down to the planet instead and holds them all at gunpoint, ordering Maltz to beam up Sulu, Chekov, Scott, McCoy, and Saavik, but leaving Kirk and Spock. Kruge demands Genesis, over Kirk's protests that it is a failure, evidenced by the disintegrating planet they're on. Kruge and Kirk fight; Kruge is prepared to kill himself in the battle. The two eventually end up on a cliff-side overlooking a lava stream, and Kruge nearly falls to his death when part of the cliff breaks off. Kirk offers to save Kruge's life by extending his hand to help, but he tries to drag Kirk into the chasm along with him, and Kirk finally declares that he has had enough of the Klingon and kicks him in the face three times until he falls off the side of the cliff. As he plummets, the Klingon commander disappears in a flash of flame. Kirk retrieves Spock, who is now unconscious, but back to the physical age he was when he died, and tricks Maltz into beaming him on board the Bird-of-Prey by impersonating Kruge. Maltz, the last remaining member of his crew, surrenders, and Kirk gives him the choice of helping the Enterprise crew or dying, and Maltz is content to let the ship be destroyed when the planet below explodes. " Fine, I'll kill you later, " Kirk says. Scott, Sulu, and Chekov figure out the Klingon propulsion systems, and they set a course for Vulcan as the Genesis planet finally begins to blow itself apart. Once safely away from the self-destructing planet, Kirk quietly says his farewell to his son. He then orders Chekov to hold Maltz prisoner, but Maltz protests that Kirk stated he would kill him. Kirk intones, " I lied, " and stands by his order.

In a medical bay aboard the Klingon vessel, McCoy tries to converse with Spock's unconscious body. McCoy tells Spock of the katra that he had put into him in the Enterprise 's engine room , asking him to remember that. Still getting no response, McCoy tells his old Vulcan rival that he is going to say something that he never thought he'd hear himself say – he has missed Spock since his death and he doesn't know if he could stand to lose him again.

The Bird-of-Prey lands near Mount Seleya, where it is greeted by Sarek and Uhura. After Spock's body is taken up telekinetically to Mount Seleya, followed by Sarek, Kirk and company, a ceremony is then officiated by the Vulcan priestess T'Lar , who determines that Spock, indeed, is alive. Sarek, stating that his logic is uncertain as far as his son is concerned, requests that Spock's katra be reintegrated with its body in the fal-tor-pan ceremony. McCoy agrees to this despite being warned that there are risks involved. T'Lar initiates a mind meld with Spock and McCoy, and begins the ritual to restore Spock's soul.

The ceremony proceeds through the long night. As day breaks, T'Lar is escorted away in her sedan as McCoy wearily informs Kirk that's he's all right. When Kirk asks Sarek about Spock, the Vulcan can only reply "Only time will answer." As he begins to thank Kirk for his actions, the admiral cuts in saying that he did what he had to do. Sarek, with a hint of sorrow, asks Kirk if the price he paid with the loss of the Enterprise and his son was worth all of the effort. Kirk replies that if he hadn't tried, he would have paid with his own soul.

Kirk and Spock, Mount Seleya

" My father says that you have been my friend… you came back for me. "

At first, Spock and two Vulcan priests walk past the Enterprise crew without a glance, but Spock removes his hood, turns back and then regards each of them, trying to remember a fragment of a memory of any of them. As he approaches Kirk, he regards him carefully and states that Sarek has told him that Kirk was his friend, that he came back for him. Kirk replies that Spock would have done the same for him. Spock, puzzled, asks why Kirk would do such a thing. Remembering what Spock had told him as he slowly died in the engine room of the Enterprise about the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, Kirk turns it back and explains to Spock that in this case, " the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many. "

EnterpriseCrewStarTrekIII

The needs of the one

In Spock, the memory begins to surface and he echoes back to Kirk " I have been and ever shall be your friend. " Kirk, encouraging, tells Spock that he is correct. He also remembers more from his last meeting with Kirk, asking if the Enterprise is out of the danger that Khan had forced them into. Kirk tries to continue to jog Spock's memory by telling him he saved the ship – he saved them all. Spock, considering Kirk, looks at him guardedly: " Jim. Your name… is Jim… " Kirk smiles and says " Yes! " Spock, almost contented with the success, regards Dr. McCoy who taps his finger to his head knowingly and in a moment of overwhelming joy, the rest of the Enterprise crew welcomes Spock back as the sun rises over Vulcan.

" … and the Adventure continues … "

Log entries [ ]

" USS Enterprise , Captain's personal log . With most of our battle damage repaired, we're almost home. Yet I feel uneasy, and I wonder why. Perhaps it's the emptiness of this vessel. Most of our trainee crew have been reassigned. Lieutenant Saavik and my son, David, are exploring the Genesis planet which he helped create. And Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No, more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. It seems I have left the noblest part of myself back there… on that newborn planet. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" And Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No, more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. "

" Sir? I was wondering… are they planning a ceremony when we get in? I mean a reception? " " A hero's welcome, son? Is that what you'd like? Well, God knows there should be. This time we paid for the party with our dearest blood. "

" Until the Federation Council makes policy, you are all under orders not to discuss with anyone your knowledge of Genesis. Consider it a quarantined planet and a forbidden subject. "

" Impressive. They can make planets. " " Oh, yes. New cities and homes in the country. Your woman at your side. Children playing at your feet, and overhead, fluttering in the breeze, the flag of the Federation! Charming. "

" Regulations specifically state nothing shall be beamed aboard until danger of contamination has been eliminated. "

" Beaming down to the surface is permitted. " "If the Captain decides that the mission is vital and reasonably free of danger. "

" To absent friends. "

" The Council has ordered that no one but the science team goes to Genesis! "

" What'll it be? " " Altair water. " (giggles) " That's not your usual poison. " " To expect one to order poison in a bar is not logical. "

" All right, dammit! It's Genesis! The name of the place we're going is Genesis!" " GENESIS!? " " Yes! Genesis!! How can you be deaf with ears like that!? " " Genesis allowed, is not! It's planet forbidden! "

" Sir, I'm sorry, but your voice is carrying. I don't think you want to be discussing this subject in public. " " I'll discuss what I like! And who in the hell are you? " " Could I offer you a ride home, Dr. McCoy? " " Where's the logic in offering me a ride home, you idiot? If I wanted a ride home, would I be trying to charter a space flight? "

" Make it quick, Admiral. They're moving him to the Federation funny farm. " " Yes, poor friend. I hear he's nutty as a fruitcake. "

" How many fingers do I have up? " (Makes a Vulcan hand salute) " That's not very damn funny. " " Your sense of humor's returned. " " The hell it has! "

" You're suffering from a Vulcan mind meld, doctor. " " That green-blooded son of a bitch! It's his revenge for all the arguments he lost. "

" Keeping you busy? " " Don't get smart, Tiny. "

" That's Admiral Kirk, my God! " " Very good for you, Lieutenant. " " But it's damned irregular. No destination orders. No encoded IDs. " " All true. " " Well, what are we going to do about it? " " I'm not going to do anything about it. You're going to sit in the closet. " " The closet ? What, have you lost all your sense of reality? " " This isn't reality. " (turns and points a phaser at him) " This is fantasy ! You wanted adventure, how's this? The old adrenaline going, huh? Good boy. Now get in the closet! " " Okay, um… " " Go on, go on. " " I'll just get in the closet. "

" I'm glad you're on our side. "

" Ah, Mr. Scott! Calling it a night? " " Uh, yes sir. " " Turning in myself, looking forward to breaking the Enterprise 's speed records tomorrow. " " Ah, yes sir. Good night. "

" Level, please. " " Transporter room. " " Thank you. " " Up your shaft. "

" A chimpanzee and two trainees could run her. " " Thank you, Mister Scott. I'll try not to take that personally. "

" And… now, Mr. Scott. " " Sir? " " The doors, Mr. Scott! " " Aye, sir, I'm working on it! "

" Kirk! If you do this, you'll never sit in the captain's chair again. "

" Scotty… as good as your word. " " Aye, sir. The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain! (to McCoy) Here, doctor. Souvenirs… from one surgeon to another. I took them out of her main transwarp computer drive. "

" Gentlemen, your work today has been outstanding. I intend to recommend you all for promotion… in whatever fleet we end up serving. "

" Sir, may I suggest… " (points his weapon at Torg) " Say the wrong thing, Torg!! " " That if it's prisoners you want, there are life signs on the planet, perhaps the very scientists you seek. " (lowers his weapon) " Very good. "

" How are we doing? " " How are we doing? Funny you should put it that way, Jim. We are doing fine. But I'd feel a lot safer giving him one of my kidneys than what's scrambled in my brain! "

" Hello, sir. It's David. " " I'm sorry I'm late. " " It's OK; I should've known you'd come. But Saavik's right. This planet is unstable; it's going to destroy itself in a matter of hours. " " David, what went wrong? " I went wrong. " " I don't understand. " " I'm sorry, sir. Just don't surrender. Genesis doesn't work. I can't believe they'd kill us for it. "

" You Klingon bastard! You've killed my son! "

" There are two more prisoners, Admiral. You want them killed, too? Surrender your vessel. "

" Bones, you and Sulu to the transporter room. The rest of you with me, we have a job to do. "

" Destruct sequence completed and engaged. Awaiting final code for one minute countdown. " " Code zero, zero, zero...destruct...zero. " " Destruct sequence is activated. "

" Nine, eight, seven, six, five... " " GET OUT! GET OUT OF THERE! GET OUT! " " ...One... "

" My God, Bones. What have I done? " " What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live. "

" Klingon Commander! This is Admiral James T. Kirk! I'm alive and well on the planet surface! I know this will come as a pleasant surprise for you, but our ship was a victim of an unfortunate accident! Sorry about your crew, but as we say on Earth, c'est la vie . I have what you want. I have the secret of Genesis. But you're gonna have to bring us up there to get it. You hear me? I'm waiting for you! What is your answer? "

" You fool, look around you! The planet's destroying itself. " " Yes! Exhilarating, isn't it? " " If we don't help each other, we'll die here. " " Perfect. Then that's the way it shall be! "

" You – help us or die. " " I do not deserve to live. " " Fine, I'll kill you later. "

" Where's the damn antimatter inducer? " " This? No, this. " " That, or nothing! "

" Wait! You said you would kill me! " " I lied. "

" I'm going to tell you something that I never thought I'd hear myself say. But it seems that I've missed you. And I don't know if I could stand to lose you again. "

" What you seek has not been done since ages past, and then only in legend. Your request is not logical. " " Forgive me, T'Lar. My logic is uncertain where my son is concerned. "

" McCoy, son of David, since thou art Human, we cannot expect thee to understand fully what Sarek has requested. Spock's body lives. With your approval, we shall use all our powers to return to his body that which you possess. "

" The danger to thyself is as grave as the danger to Spock. You must make the choice. " " I choose the danger! " (muttered) " Hell of a time to ask… "

" Kirk, I thank you. What you've done is – " " What I've done, I had to do. " " But at what cost? Your ship. Your son. " " If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul. "

" My father says that you have been my friend. You came back for me. " " You would have done the same for me. " " Why would you do this? " " Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many. "

" Jim. Your name is Jim. "

Background information [ ]

Production [ ].

  • Harve Bennett 's twenty-page outline for this film was entitled Return To Genesis and is dated 16 September 1982 . [1] Bennett has said in various interviews and the Star Trek III DVD that the script was the easiest he had ever written, starting at the end of the movie with Spock alive again and working backwards from that point. Bennett also said that Paramount green-lighted this film faster than any film he ever worked on, having been told to "Start writing Star Trek III " within days of the release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .
  • According to an article on io9.com Harve Bennett's original outline for Star Trek III would have involved Romulans coming to Genesis instead of Klingons and them finding the world very rich in dilithium. The Romulans then begin to mine the planet until the miners begin being killed by a feral Spock, whose aging was still tied to the aging of the planet. At the same time, Vulcan, upon hearing of the Genesis Device, is so horrified to discover that the Federation created such a potential weapon they want to secede from the Federation. This would have sent Kirk to Vulcan, with the crew of the Enterprise , to face the angry Vulcans. In the article, Robert Meyer Burnett argues that this would have been a more serious, "perilous" and above all epic story than the actual produced and released film – and it would have featured a Romulan commander along the lines of the thoughtful antagonist from the original Romulan story, " Balance of Terror ".
  • In an early draft of the script, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was originally to be a stolen Romulan vessel (the red "feather design" of the wings' underside was designed with the original Romulan Bird-of-Prey in mind), but that detail was dropped from the final draft.
  • A copy of Bennett's original storyline was leaked to fans in February 1983 , forcing him to rewrite the script, changing many of the film's original details and events. This forced the original release date to change from the Christmas of 1983, when production was delayed until 15 August 1983 , partially due to the rewrite. ( Starlog #77, December 1983 , p. 15)
  • After filming on Star Trek III began on Monday, 15 August 1983 . The opening scene on the Enterprise bridge was the first to be filmed. The last shot was taken at Thursday, 20 October 1983 on the Excelsior bridge . When the film was released, the box office receipts were strong. The film grossed US$16.7 million in its opening weekend, approximately US$2.4 million more than Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan made when it first opened. In the long run, however, Star Trek III grossed a total of US$76.5 million domestically, falling just short of Star Trek II 's US$78.9 million gross.
  • During production, a fire broke out behind the Paramount lot which caused minor damage to the Genesis Planet set. Among those who assisted in putting out the fire was actor William Shatner. According to his Star Trek Movie Memories , Shatner was in full Kirk costume and makeup when he helped with the fire. Shatner also accounted in his book that he was terrified the fire was going to hold up filming and thereby make him late for reporting back to start filming the new season of TJ Hooker , the police drama that Shatner was starring in at the time that Star Trek III (and later Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ) was filmed.

Spock's rebirth [ ]

  • Actor and director Leonard Nimoy also worked on the film's story, but his contribution went uncredited. " The only time there was any conflict about the movie's content happened during pre-production, when I said I was satisfied with the final script, and was ready to start shooting. The executives had some reservations about ending the picture on Vulcan. I felt, very, very strongly about that final sequence. I wanted to end the film by bringing Spock to Vulcan, and going through the ritual. I believed it would work, and that the audience would enjoy it. " Nimoy explained, " Not being so familiar with Star Trek , the executives didn't understand what that sequence would mean to the audience. They were worried about it, and tried to convince me to substitute a different ending. They wanted to end with the dramatic escape from the Genesis planet, getting Kirk and Spock on board the Klingon Bird of Prey , reviving Spock in the sick bay, doing a little tag scene and going home. " To that end, Nimoy said he " argue vehemently that we had to have the sequence on Vulcan. Showing Spock on his planet, among his people, trying to remember his friends, would be a moving scene. I managed to convince them that I wanted to do it my way, and they agreed. I didn't discuss the film with them again until I showed them my first cut. " ( Starlog #106, May 1986 , p. 52)
  • There is an extra long pause between William Shatner's name and DeForest Kelley's during the opening credits where Leonard Nimoy's name would have been. To keep secret Leonard Nimoy's participation in this movie as an actor, official daily call sheets mentioned the adult Spock character only as "Nacluv" ("Vulcan" spelled backwards), played by " Frank Force ". Nimoy continued the joke by using the pseudonym in the end credits for his cameo role as the ( Excelsior ) elevator voice.
  • After the Enterprise escapes from Spacedock, when Kirk orders a scan "for vessels in pursuit," an off-screen McCoy responds " scanning: indications negative at this time. " However, it is in actuality the voice of Leonard Nimoy that the audience hears. This is left as an open-ended question to whether it is McCoy performing an impersonation, or more likely, another manifestation of Spock's katra (spirit), as witnessed in the scene in Spock's quarters, in which McCoy sits in the shadows, but speaks in Spock's voice.

Destruction of the Enterprise [ ]

  • According to director/producer commentary for the two-disc DVD release, the destruction of the Enterprise was to be a secret (like Luke Skywalker's father in the Star Wars franchise), but the Paramount promotional department made this the biggest point of the initial trailers, calling it "The Death of the Enterprise "; Harve Bennett had objected to this and tried to have the trailers changed so as to not spoil the surprise, but lost out. Despite the heightened security precautions implemented during filming, word of the ship's destruction was leaked during production, in an incident that some have attributed to Gene Roddenberry himself.
  • In a 1987 interview with the Official Star Trek Fan Club magazine, Harve Bennett said that the destruction of the Enterprise was not in the original drafts of the script and was added later in writing when he and Leonard Nimoy realized they needed a dramatic life or death decision. After the film was finished, Bennett said he quietly vowed to restore the Enterprise at the proper time. The Enterprise was restored in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with the introduction of the USS Enterprise -A .

Deleted scenes [ ]

Filming turbolift deleted scene

The filming of the turbolift scene

  • A scene between Kirk and McCoy in a turbolift was filmed for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock but was ultimately cut. ( Starlog , issue 87, p. 20) This scene was included in the comic Star Trek III: The Search for Spock adaptation. An image from the production of this scene, with Leonard Nimoy directing William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , was published in Starlog (issue 88, p. 23).
  • Scene 276 : A scene scripted to feature the Enterprise crew carrying Spock up the stairs to Mount Seleya . In this scene, credited actress Katherine Blum – as the Vulcan child – released herself from her father and went to Spock, performed the Vulcan salute , and said " Live long and prosper, Spock. "

Scene featuring Barney Burman

  • Another scene which was filmed for the movie but eventually omitted was set inside the Vulcan Hall of Ancient Thought . ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 61; Cinefantastique , Vol. 17, No. 3/4, p. 68; The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 53)

Behind the scenes [ ]

Concept art [ ].

Klingon Bird-of-Prey muscleman sketch

Production gallery [ ]

Spacedock One model under construction

Publicity photos [ ]

Klingon promotional image for Star Trek III

  • Leonard Nimoy originally wanted Edward James Olmos as Kruge , but Paramount Pictures nixed the casting, while Olmos went on to play William Adama in Ronald D. Moore 's Battlestar Galactica revival in 2003.
  • This movie marks the first live-action appearance of Ambassador Sarek ( Mark Lenard ) since his introduction seventeen years earlier in TOS : " Journey to Babel ". In the interim, he appeared in TAS : " Yesteryear ".
  • Judi Durand voices her first computer in this movie. She can be heard announcing that the space doors are closed. She went on to play the Cardassian Computer Voice in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
  • Paramount continued its practice of seeking design patents for designs from the Star Trek movies with this film as well. It obtained patents for several props, the Excelsior , and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
  • During the scene where Kirk asks Admiral Morrow for permission to return to the Genesis Planet, part of the Epsilon IX station from Star Trek: The Motion Picture can be seen as a wall decoration hanging in the background, and when they reach the turbo shaft, the other half can be seen.

Klingon D'k tagh

The Klingon D'k tagh

  • The Klingon d'k tahg is first introduced in this film.
  • Several costumes, props, and set dressing from this film were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a pair of Vulcan gloves, [2] a lot of Genesis microbes , [3] Scott McGinnis ' undershirt, [4] and one of Robin Curtis ' costumes. [5]
  • The bar in San Francisco, in which McCoy meets the alien, is a reused part from the sickbay of the Enterprise .
  • For the bridge of the Grissom , the regular Enterprise bridge was used, with the captain's chair and the helm console twisted around. The covers of the seats were changed from white to pink.
  • For the transporter complex, where Uhura beamed Kirk, McCoy, and Sulu to the Enterprise , the interiors from the Regula I space station were used.
  • The climactic fight between Kirk and Kruge was originally supposed to feature huge boulders that would "burst" up from the ground. On the day of shooting, however, the boulders failed to work properly and the scene was shot without them (however, one of them worked correctly and was used to propel Kruge into the air to attack Kirk at the onset of their fight).

Reception [ ]

  • This film failed to impress Ronald Reagan , when he viewed it at the White House on 23 June 1984 . Reagan mentioned the film in his diaries, commenting, " After dinner we ran Star Trek III . It wasn't too good. " Despite this, he watched Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home two years later. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 160 , p. 53)
  • In Britain, the film was released on 27 July 1984 . It reached no.2 in the box office charts, but eventually rose to no.1 late in its run. It was however the lowest performing Star Trek film at the UK box office overall with only £1,096,042. [8]
  • Star Trek III: The Search For Spock had its broadcast network television premiere on ABC on September 28, 1987 (coinciding with the syndicated debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation ), to compensate for the loss of that evening's Monday Night Football (due to the 1987 NFL strike).

Awards and honors [ ]

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock received the following awards and honors:

Merchandise gallery [ ]

story album

Apocrypha [ ]

The novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock shows that from her transporter station, Uhura was monitoring Starfleet channels and helping to jam and distort channels in order to aid in Kirk and company's escape attempt. Also, after Excelsior was disabled, it issued a distress call, and Uhura intercepted and dumped it, thinking that as Styles had usurped what was supposed to be Sulu's command, that he could sit out there and stew for a while. After the escape of Enterprise , Uhura quickly ran to the Vulcan Embassy and asked for asylum from Sarek, which he granted to her despite the protestations of Starfleet security who had followed Uhura there.

In the novelization, after their escape from Genesis, Saavik speculates to Kirk that billions of years in the future, the matter that formed the Genesis system may again coalesce into another star system, this time lacking the protomatter that doomed it and this time, the system should be stable and may well turn out in the way that David and Carol and their friends all intended. The novelization and the children's read-along storybook also referenced the intended fate for the Genesis planet in the shooting script: it was to fall into its sun (parts of this are seen in the finished film: as the Bird-of-Prey begins to make its escape, the planet is clearly shown to be very close to the sun, as well as the fact that Kirk's face seems to get yellower as he calls for beam-out). In the novel, the planet falls into its sun, and the sun itself expands and is reduced to a cloud of plasma.

The novelization also includes several scenes that were not in the film or script at all, such as a wake aboard the Enterprise for Spock (and by extension, everyone who died in The Wrath of Khan ) that goes badly; a debriefing with Captain Esteban that ends with a rift forming between Kirk and David; the recovery of bodies from the Regula One laboratory; the escape of two survivors from the merchant ship that was destroyed by the Bird of Prey; Sulu being informed that, because he was aboard the Enterprise during events that were going to be classified by Starfleet, command of the Excelsior was being given to Styles; a relationship forming between David and Saavik; and the discovery that the plants in the Genesis Cave had mutated and secreted a substance that was a powerful narcotic.

Links and references [ ]

Credits [ ], opening credits [ ].

  • William Shatner
  • DeForest Kelley
  • James Doohan
  • George Takei
  • Walter Koenig
  • Nichelle Nichols
  • Mark Lenard as Sarek
  • Merritt Butrick as David
  • Dame Judith Anderson
  • Robin Curtis as Lt. Saavik
  • Christopher Lloyd as Kruge
  • Gene Roddenberry
  • James Horner
  • Ralph Winter
  • Robert F. Shugrue
  • John E. Chilberg II
  • Charles Correll , ASC
  • Gary Nardino
  • Harve Bennett
  • Leonard Nimoy

Closing credits [ ]

  • James B. Sikking
  • Allan Miller
  • Carl Steven
  • Vadia Potenza
  • Stephen Manley
  • Joe W. Davis
  • Michael P. Schoenbrun
  • James Hockridge
  • Ken Stringer
  • Robert Fletcher
  • David Nowell , SOC
  • Robert A. Torres
  • Alfredo R. Sepulveda
  • Michael Scott , SOC
  • Norman E. Parker
  • Gene S. Cantamessa , CAS
  • Raul A. Bruce
  • Agnes G. Henry
  • Jean Merrick
  • Dan Bronson
  • Joseph Markham
  • The Burman Studio ( Barney Burman & Rob Burman )
  • James L. McCoy
  • Silvia Abascal
  • Paul Abascal
  • Carol O'Connell
  • Lily La Cava
  • Norm Glasser
  • "Big" Ed Cooper
  • Dennis Harper
  • Clarence Ebert
  • Jon Falkengren
  • Ronald E. Greenwood
  • Jerry Kobold
  • Charlie Russo
  • Ron Galloway
  • Thomas R. Homsher
  • Dennis K. Petersen
  • Tony Vandenecker
  • Peter G. Evangelatos
  • Scott Goodale
  • Ed Charnock, Jr.
  • Dennis C. Ivanjack
  • Cameron Birnie
  • Blake Russell
  • Robert D. Mayne
  • Lynn Harman
  • Robert Morgan
  • John Shannon
  • Martin X. Chielens
  • John A. Hagger
  • Terry P. Haggar
  • Cecelia Hall
  • George Watters II
  • John Leveque
  • Paul Bruce Richardson
  • Sean Hanley
  • Ron Horwitz
  • Pamela Bentkowski
  • Dan O'Connell
  • Ellen Heuer
  • Danniel F. Finnerty
  • Bruce D. Fortune
  • Alan Howarth
  • Frank Serafine
  • Tom Johnson
  • Robert Badami
  • Greig Mc Ritchie
  • David J. Hudson
  • Robert W. Glass, Jr.
  • Dr. Richard H. Green
  • Marc Okrand
  • Debbie Schwab
  • Cynthia Riddle
  • Joel Marston
  • Andre Tayir
  • Barbara Arms
  • Barbara Harris
  • Sylvia Rubinstein
  • Teresa E. Victor
  • Deborah Arakelian
  • Industrial Light & Magic , Marin County, California
  • Kenneth Ralston
  • David Carson
  • Kenneth F. Smith
  • Scott Farrar
  • Selwyn Eddy III
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  • Patrick McArdle
  • Ray Gilberti
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  • Donald Clark
  • Ralph Gordon
  • David Berry
  • Warren Franklin
  • Laurie Vermont
  • Steve Gawley
  • William George
  • William Beck
  • Richard Davis
  • Michael Fulmer
  • David Sosalla
  • Michael Pangrazio
  • Chris Evans
  • Frank Ordaz
  • Craig Barron
  • Charles Mullen
  • Bruce Walters
  • Phillip Norwood
  • Bill Kimberlin
  • Jay Ignaszewski
  • Ted Moehnke
  • ILM Stage Crew
  • Terry Chostner
  • Michael MacKenzie
  • The Burbank Studios
  • Hal Landaker
  • Alan Landaker
  • Rick Whitfield
  • Symbolics, Inc. , Graphics Division
  • Omnibus Video, Inc.
  • Strayframes
  • Stuart Jensen
  • Elza Bergeron
  • Mary Ann Barton
  • Kirk – William Shatner
  • Spock – Leonard Nimoy
  • McCoy – DeForest Kelley
  • Scotty – James Doohan
  • Chekov – Walter Koenig
  • Sulu – George Takei
  • Uhura – Nichelle Nichols
  • Saavik – Robin Curtis
  • David – Merritt Butrick
  • Trainee Foster – Phil Morris
  • " Mr. Adventure " – Scott McGinnis
  • Admiral Morrow – Robert Hooks
  • Spock...Age 9 – Carl Steven
  • Spock...Age 13 – Vadia Potenza
  • Spock...Age 17 – Stephen Manley
  • Spock...Age 25 – Joe W. Davis
  • Captain – Paul Sorensen
  • Valkris – Cathie Shirriff
  • Kruge – Christopher Lloyd
  • Torg – Stephen Liska
  • Maltz – John Larroquette
  • Sergeant – Dave Cadiente
  • Gunner #1 – Bob Cummings
  • Gunner #2 – Branscombe Richmond
  • Captain Esteban – Phillip Richard Allen
  • Helm – Jeanne Mori
  • Communications – Mario Marcelino
  • Alien – Allan Miller
  • Waitress – Sharon Thomas
  • Civilian Agent – Conroy Gedeon
  • Captain Styles – James B. Sikking
  • First Officer – Miguel Ferrer
  • Sarek – Mark Lenard
  • Child – Katherine Blum
  • High Priestess – Dame Judith Anderson
  • Prison Guard #1 – Gary Faga
  • Prison Guard #2 – Douglas Alan Shanklin
  • Woman in Cafeteria – Grace Lee Whitney
  • Robin Kellick
  • Kimberly L. Ryusaki ( Bar alien / Trainee Enterprise crewmember )
  • Phil Weyland (for William Shatner / Starfleet crewman )
  • Steve Blalock (for Leonard Nimoy / Vulcan guard )
  • Spock Screams – Frank Welker
  • Enterprise Computer – Teresa E. Victor
  • Flight Recorder – Harve Bennett
  • Space Dock Controller – Judi Durand
  • Elevator Voice – Frank Force
  • Background Voices – The Loop Group
  • Al Jones ( Klingon crewman )
  • Steve Blalock ( Trainee crewman )
  • David Burton (stunt double for Merritt Butrick)
  • Kenny Endoso
  • Jim Halty ( San Francisco bar patron )
  • Chuck Hicks ( Stunt double for Paul Sorensen )
  • Jeff Jensen ( Stunt double for Douglas Alan Shanklin )
  • Don Charles McGovern ( Klingon crewman )
  • Tom Morga ( Merchantman alien crewman / Starfleet officer / Klingon officer )
  • Alan Oliney
  • Chuck Picerni, Jr. ( Klingon crewman )
  • Danny Rogers ( Merchantman first officer )
  • Frank James Sparks
  • David Zellitti ( Klingon crewman )
  • Ron Stein & R.A. Rondell
  • Movie Magic
  • Hollywood Armor
  • United States Marine Corp. – Air / Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms, California
  • Music by Alexander Courage
  • Craig Hundley
  • Johnny Mercer & Victor Schertzinger
  • Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen
  • Panavision ®
  • Glen Glenn Sound
  • Cinema Group Venture
  • Capitol Records and XDR™ cassettes
  • Shirley Anthony as Vulcan priestess
  • David Armstrong as Vulcan apprentice
  • Benjie Bancroft as Vulcan attendant
  • Bibi Besch as Carol Marcus (archive footage)
  • Jessie Biscardi as a Vulcan maiden
  • Suzy Born as a Vulcan maiden
  • Barney Burman as a bar alien ( deleted scene )
  • Charles Correll as a Spacedock worker
  • Debra Dilley as a Vulcan maiden
  • Claudia Lowndes as an Officer's wife
  • Danny Nero as Vulcan guard
  • Paulette as a Vulcan maiden
  • Michael Prokopuk as Excelsior crewmember
  • Nanci Rogers as a bar waitress
  • Teresa Sloan as a bar patron
  • Rebecca Soladay as a Vulcan maiden
  • John Staible as Enterprise crewman
  • Cheryl Wallack as Vulcan priestess
  • Bar alien with bald tattooed head
  • Bar alien with metallic faceplates
  • Bar dart player
  • Female bar patron
  • Female Starfleet officer in bar
  • Male Human bar patron
  • Enterprise security officer 1
  • Enterprise Security officer 2
  • Alien Enterprise crewmember
  • Deltan Excelsior officer
  • Excelsior helmsman
  • Excelsior engineer
  • Excelsior bridge crewmembers
  • Grissom navigator
  • Morrow's personal aide
  • Spacedock controllers 1 and 2
  • Vulcan at ritual 1 and 2
  • Vulcan apprentices 1 – 4
  • Vulcan attendant 1
  • Vulcan maiden
  • Vulcan musician
  • Vulcan priests 1 and 2
  • Lightning Bear
  • Jean Coulter as stunt double for Sharon Thomas ( deleted scene )
  • Eric Mansker as bartender ( deleted scene )
  • Bari Burman – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Thomas R. Burman – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Edward Goehring – Creative Consultant: Stray Frames Ltd.
  • Steve LaPorte – Special Makeup Effects Artist
  • Kenneth A. Larson – Propmaker
  • Tony McVey – Sculptor
  • Leonard Nimoy – Writer
  • Rick Stratton – Makeup Artist
  • Professional VisionCare Associates – Contact Lens company

References [ ]

2265 ; 40 Eridani A ; accident ; act of war ; acting ; adrenaline ; adventure ; agent ; aging ; animal ; area ; Altair water ; alternative ; answer ; antimatter inducer ; approach control ; Arcanis Lager ; argument ; " at regular intervals "; attack ; auto-destruct ; automate ; automation center ; automation system ; auto system ; bar ; bargain ; barn door ; battle alert ; battle damage ; battle cruiser ; bearing ; behavior ; blood ; blue alert ; boarding party ; body ; " Bones "; Bounty , HMS ; brain ; breeze ; burial robe ; " by the book "; captain's chair ; captain of engineering ; " calling it a night "; career ; cell ; Celsius ; ceremony ; chance ; chief engineering officer ; channel ; charter ; children ; chimpanzee ; choice ; city ; civilization ; cloaking device ; closet ; combat ; commander ; commendation ; communications ; compartment ; compliments ; computer ; computer voice ; comrade ; Constitution II -class ; Constitution II -class decks ; contamination ; countdown ; country ; course ; crew complement ; criminal ; cylindrical ; d'k tahg ; damage ; danger ; darts ; data ; day ; deafness ; death ; decommission ; Deltan ; desert ; destination order ; distortion ; docking ; docking maneuver ; docking procedure ; doomsday weapon ; door ; dozen ; drain ; duty station ; ear ; Earth ; emergency channel ; emergency frequency ; emergency power ; emergency tube ; emissary ; emotional problem ; emptiness ; encoded ID ; enemy ; energy ; energy surge ; Enterprise , USS ; estimating ; ethics ; event ; evolution ; Excelsior -class ; Excelsior , USS ; execution ; exhaustion ; expedition ; failure ; Fal-tor-pan ; fantasy ; Federation Council ; Federation government ; Federation Neutral Zone ; Federation Security ; feet ; finger ; firing range ; flag ; fleet ; Flight International ; flight recorder ; foliage ; fool ; French language ; friend ; friendship ; funny farm ; gang ; Genesis Device ; Genesis effect ; Genesis Experiment ; Genesis (planet) ; Genesis matrix ; Genesis Planet sun ; Genesis sector ; Genesis Torpedo ; Genesis wave ; Genesis worm ; " give the word "; God knows "; gravitational field ; gravitational support system ; " Great Experiment, The "; green ; Grissom , USS ; gunner ; hailing frequency ; hand ; head ; hello ; " hind end "; home ; honor ; hope ; hour ; house ; Human ; humor ; idea ; impatience ; impulse power ; information ; inquiry ; inspection ; instinct ; instruction ; intention ; James T. Kirk's San Francisco apartment ; katra ; Keeper ; kellicam ; kidney ; Klingons ' Klingon Bird-of-Prey ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon monster dog ; Klingonese ; knowledge ; Kobayashi Maru ; knowledge ; Kruge's Bird-of-Prey ; land ; landing ; lava lamp ; legend ; lexorin ; light ; life ( lifeform ); lifelessness ; life sign ; line ; lord ; loyalty ; luck ; machine ; main transwarp computer drive ; marbles ; mass ; maximum velocity ; medical tricorder ; McCoy, David ; medic ; memory bank ; Merchantman ; message ; metal ; meter ; microbe ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind ; mind meld ; minute ; miracle worker ; mission ; money ; moon ; mooring ( automatic mooring ); Mount Seleya ; multiplication ; Mutara sector ; " my God "; mysticism ; NCC-500 ; NCC-585 ; NCC-3801 ; NCC-4000 ; name ; negotiation ; newborn ; Oberth -class ; obsessive behavior ; officer ; " oh my God "; Old City Station ; " on course "; opinion ; opponent ; orbital shuttle ( unnamed ); Orbital shuttle 6 ; Orbital shuttle 7 ; order ; " out of the question "; " out on a limb "; pain ; parlor ; peace ; permission ; permit ; phaser ; phaser bank ; photon torpedo ; photon tube ; poison ; place ; planet core ; plant ; platitude ; playing ; plumbing ; policy ; pon farr ; pre-approach scan ; price ; priority one ; prisoner ; problem ; progress report ; Project Genesis ; promotion ; protomatter ; prototype ; quarantine ; quarters ; radiation ; radio silence ; range ; rationality ; reality ; reception ; recorder ; red alert ; refit ; refit time ; regeneration ; rendezvous ; repair estimate ; reply ; report ; reputation ; research ; retrothrusters ; revenge ; risk ; " Roger "; room ; rule ; sabotage ; sacrifice ; science officer ; science station ; science team ; science vessel ; scientist ; scout class ; Scott's grandmother ; screen ; search ; " second wind "; secret ; Sector 1 ; Sector 2 ; Sector 3 ; security access ; sense of humor ; " set sail "; shaft ; shield ; ship for hire ; shock ; short range scan ; side elevator ; signal ; " sitting duck "; " son of a bitch "; Spacedock One ; spacedock ship ; spirit ; ship's surgeon ; shore leave ; Skon ; snow ; soft landing ; Solkar ; soul ; souvenir ; space ; space body ; Spacedock One ; space door ; spaceflight ; space veteran ; speed ; speed record ; staff meeting ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Commander ; Starfleet regulations ; step ; standard orbit ; standard orbital approach ; " stand by "; stranger ; stealing ; subject ; subspace coded channel 98.8 ; sunrise ; surface ; surgeon ; surprise ; surrender ; survivor ; sympathy ; temperature ; terminium ; terrain ; " the promised land "; thought ; thousand ; thruster ; time ; toast ; torpedo casing ; town ; tractor beam ; trainee ; trainee crew ; tranquilizer ; transmission ; transporter ; transporter beam ; transporter room ; transwarp drive ; treaty ; trial run ; tricorder ; trick ; travel pod 05 ; truce ; truth ; type 2 phaser ; umbilical support system ; Unit 1 ; Unit 2 ; vegetation ; victim ; violation ; voice ; Vulcans ; Vulcan (planet) ; Vulcan gong ; Vulcan language ; Vulcan nerve pinch ; Vulcan salute ; wagon ; " wait a minute "; walk ; warp drive ; warp speed ; " what the hell "; weakling ; weapon ; weapon system ; weather ; week ; wheel ; wisdom ; wish ; word ; world ( planet ); wound ; year ; yellow alert

LCARS references [ ]

Constitution -class ; Federation -class ; Hermes -class ; Ptolemy -class ; Saladin -class

Meta references [ ]

Unreferenced material [ ].

adoption ; Altair IV ; Galt (Vulcan)

External links [ ]

  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at StarTrek.com
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at Wikipedia
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at the Internet Movie Database
  • Behind the scenes on The Search for Spock  at Forgotten Trek
  • Filming Locations at Film in America
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock script  at Star Trek Minutiae
  • " Star Trek III: The Search for Spock " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast

Who Plays Nyota Uhura On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

Nyota Uhura on Strange New Worlds

In the "Star Trek" timeline, few space-faring females stand quite as tall as Nyota Uhura . The Kenyan-born communications officer is one of the series' most iconic characters and one of the best examples of how "Star Trek" shattered the social norms of its time. When the original series aired in the late 1960s, TV audiences were not entirely used to seeing Black women portrayed with as much competence and skill as Uhura (originally played by Nichelle Nichols). The character is a genius, a prodigy of languages, a high-ranking Federation officer and ship commander, and one-half of one of the first interracial kisses to ever air on television (via CNN ).

That legacy remains strong even now, over half a century after Uhura and "Star Trek" initially debuted. Thanks to "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which tells the story of the USS Enterprise crew before James T. Kirk (William Shatner) took command, a whole new generation is being introduced to Uhura. More specifically, they're being introduced to Uhura as portrayed by actor Celia Rose Gooding. While this is the first time that many "Star Trek" fans have been introduced to Gooding, "Strange New Worlds" is far from her only influential role.

Celia Rose Gooding is an award-winning thespian

If you haven't heard of Celia Rose Gooding before now, then we won't blame you. She hasn't been acting quite as long as others. However, Gooding has accomplished quite a lot, possibly because the talent is in her blood. Her mother is Tony Award-winning actor LaChanze, who identified Gooding's talent from a very young age (via Playbill ). As a child, Gooding grew up seeing her mother succeed in theater, even helping her as a reader for auditions at times. This, in no small way, prepared Gooding for her own theater career, where she has made swift progress.

Aside from "Strange New Worlds," Gooding is likely best known for her role in the Broadway play "Jagged Little Pill," where she plays Frankie Healy, the adopted Black bisexual daughter of a white family. In 2021, "Jagged Little Pill" won a Grammy for best musical theater album (via IMDb ), making it Gooding's first award as a professional actor. That's a strong start if ever there was one.

Now that this star has made a trek over to the strange new world of television, however, we look forward to seeing what Celia Rose Gooding can accomplish when she's offstage and on-screen. Who knows? She just might win an Emmy as her second award.

Screen Rant

Strange new worlds actors reveal cut star trek musical finale moment & why spock dances.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding, and Christina Chong drop some BTS about the musical episode's grand finale number.

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode concludes with a grand finale showcasing the power of unity and camaraderie among the crew.
  • Lt. Spock's logical decision to dance in the musical finale helps boost subspace rift's 'improbability levels,' aiding the crew in saving the galaxy.
  • A bonding moment between Uhura and La'an highlights the ensemble's support for each other, showcasing a sense of solidarity and friendship, but it was cut from the episode.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong reveal a cut moment from the finale of the first-ever Star Trek musical, and Ethan Peck explains why Lt. Spock decided to dance in the closing musical number, "We Are One." Strange New Worlds season 2's acclaimed musical episode, "Subspace Rhapsody," was written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff and directed by Dermot Downs. All of the songs were composed by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce from Letters to Cleo. The musical required the entire cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to sing and dance, and everyone embraced the musical with gusto.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode, a subspace rift created a reality defined by the rules of musicals that threatened to engulf the entire galaxy. Meanwhile, aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and his crew unwittingly express their deepest feelings and emotions through songs. Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) deduced that to close the subspace rift, the crew of the Enterprise needed to perform a grand finale, and every single person aboard the starship joined in for the big finish musical number, "We Are One."

Star Trek Strange New Worlds Musical Episode Ending Explained

Star trek: strange new worlds' musical cut a moment from the grand finale, celia rose gooding explains a missing moment from the musical episode..

In an interview with TV Insider, Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong reveal that there was a bonding moment between Ensign Nyota Uhura and Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh that was cut from the final version of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' musical episode 's finale number, "We Are One." Read their quotes below:

Celia Rose Gooding: La’an and Uhura had a little handshake moment that we made up on the spot. Christina Chong: We did! Celia Rose Gooding: We did, but that didn’t make it. But in my mind, there was something so beautiful about that after we finished the song. Our instinct was first to just celebrate one another, and then get back to work. I think that is such a nod to our routine as an ensemble to just check on each other and really boost each other up because we’re doing something that some characters are not super comfortable with and that isn’t their instinct to burst out into song. And so that final moment of camaraderie - of course, it had to be shrunk down for the nature of TV - but in my perfect world, there’s an edit of five minutes of everyone just giving each other compliments.

"We Are One" was a catharsis for the crew of the Starship Enterprise. For La'an, the Strange New Worlds musical's finale reaffirmed her decision to be more open with her feelings, even after her confession that she is attracted to Lt. James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) didn't go as she had hoped. Meanwhile, Uhura realized that her role in keeping the crew of the Enterprise connected was a gift, and it empowered her to save the ship. Both La'an and Uhura shed their old inhibitions and took steps forward to becoming happier people .

Watch the full TV Insider interview with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' cast below:

Why Spock Dances In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Musical Finale

Ethan peck knew spock would only dance when it was logical to dance..

Ethan Peck also explained Lt. Spock's decision to dance in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' grand finale, "We Are One." Peck, who understands Spock like Leonard Nimoy did , needed a logical justification for Spock to dance , and he found out. Read Peck's quote below:

Ethan Peck: There was a moment there in that finale where life really imitated art. I mean, that happens so frequently, but never so closely together as in that moment. Spock doesn’t get to participate because, obviously, he doesn’t want to be dancing. I spoke with Dermot, the director, about it. How would Spock dance? Well, I guess he has to to get that meter maxed out so we can break out of the musical reality. And he would do it for that, and so he joins in for the very end of it. So I felt like kind of an outsider. I join in at the very end of that whole sequence. And then Chapel and Spock are sort of on rough terms, and I remember its ending. We had this joyous moment, and then we have kind of a broody look to each other. So my experience was a little bit different from some of the other cast members.

Lt. Spock dancing in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical finale did boost the subspace rift's 'improbability levels ', and helped put the Starship Enterprise crew over the top. Unlike Uhura and La'an's moment, the final cut of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' musical included the awkward moment between Spock and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) after the couple ended their relationship through song. What happens next between Spock, Chapel, and the crew of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 remains to be seen, although it won't include another musical episode. (At least not in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.)

Source: TV Insider

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is available to stream on Paramount+

uhura star trek iii

Kirks Starship Enterprise Returns In Star Trek: Discovery - With A Big Twist

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors"

  • The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise, last seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Mirror, Mirror," makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5.
  • Star Trek: Discovery filmed scenes on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
  • The ISS Enterprise now exists in the 32nd century, offering a new glimpse into the alternate reality of the Mirror Universe.

Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) Starship Enterprise makes a shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, but with a jaw-dropping twist - it's the ISS Enterprise from Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror"! Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors," sees Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) enter interdimensional space to pursue Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and the next clue to the Progenitors' ancient treasure. What Burnham and Book never expected to find was the Mirror Universe's derelict ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery picked up the mantle of the Mirror Universe from Star Trek: The Original Series , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek; Enterprise. Discovery 's season 1's game-changing Mirror Universe arc introduced Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who would enter Star Trek 's Prime Universe and is now headlining Paramount+'s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie. Star Trek: Discovery deepened the saga of the Mirror Universe, but the alternate reality's final appearance was in Star Trek: Discovery season 3. Thanks to Star Trek 's Temporal Wars , it's now impossible for the Prime and Mirror Universes to cross over in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century.

Individuals who both time travel and cross from Star Trek' s Prime and Mirror Universes suffer a lethal medical condition, such as what happened to Emperor Georgiou.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery brings back kirks mirror universe starship enterprise, the iss enterprise last appeared in star trek: the original series' "mirror, mirror".

The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 is the same Constitution Class starship from Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," which was the ISS Enterprise's only prior canonical appearance. The ISS Enterprise was trapped in interdimensional space and abandoned by its crew, who were refugees and freedom fighters attempting to flee the Mirror Universe for Star Trek 's Prime Universe in the 24th century. As Captain Burnham later learned, the refugees made it to the Prime Universe, and one scientist even became a Starfleet Admiral.

In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4's "In A Mirror, Darkly", the 22nd-century Terran Empire gained control of the Constitution Class USS Defiant, which crossed over and time traveled from the 23rd-century Prime Universe.

In Star Trek: The Original Series ' "Mirror, Mirror", the ISS Enterprise was commanded by Captain James T. Kirk who assassinated its prior Captain, Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter). "Mirror, Mirror" saw the Prime Universe's Kirk, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and Scotty (James Doohan) switch places with their Mirror counterparts due to a transporter accident during an ion storm. Before switching back, Prime Kirk planted a seed with the goateed Mirror Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to take control of the Terran Empire and institute reforms to prevent the inevitable destruction of the Empire.

Mirror Spock's reforms were successful but ultimately weakened the Terran Empire, which was conquered by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, as seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Discovery Filmed Season 5s Enterprise On Strange New Worlds Set

Star trek: strange new worlds was on hiatus after season 2..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, "Mirrors", was filmed on the USS Enterprise set of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . When Discovery season 5 was in production in late 2022, Strange New Worlds was on hiatus after completing season 2 filming in June . ( Strange New Worlds wouldn't begin season 3 production until December 2023.) Sonequa Martin-Green, David Ajala, Eve Harlow, and Elias Toufexis shot on Strange New Worlds ' sets, which are located in Toronto where Star Trek: Discovery also filmed.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is in production, and the series has been renewed for season 4.

Star Trek: Discovery redressed Strange New Worlds ' USS Enterprise set to become the ISS Enterprise. Scenes were filmed on the Enterprise's bridge, hallways, and medical bay. Interestingly, by using Strange New Worlds ' Enterprise set, which depicts the USS Enterprise before Captain Kirk assumes command, Star Trek: Discovery season 5 establishes that the ISS Enterprise, which crossed into the Prime Universe decades after Star Trek: The Original Series , is the same ship as in "Mirror, Mirror" despite the very different interiors.

Star Trek: Enterprise recreated the sets of Star Trek: The Original Series ' USS Enterprise for the interiors of the USS Defiant.

What Happens To Mirror Universes Enterprise In Star Trek: Discovery?

The 32nd century just got another 23rd-century starship.

Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker piloted the ISS Enterprise out of interdimensional space and into Star Trek 's Prime Universe with the help of the USS Discovery. Afterward, Burnham assigned Lt. Commanders Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) to fly the ISS Enterprise to Federation headquarters, so that the Mirror Universe's starship could be put into "storage". However, there are now fascinating ramifications to the ISS Enterprise existing in Star Trek: Discovery 's 32nd century .

Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself.

Although the ISS Enterprise is obsolete by 32nd-century standards, it's still a bonanza of Mirror Universe technology that the United Federation of Planets has now acquired . This would certainly be of interest to Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg). The 23rd-century ISS Enterprise is a window not just to 900 years ago, but also to the alternate reality, especially since the Mirror Universe is now sealed off permanently from the Federation. Amazingly, the ISS Enterprise is also now the second 23rd-century starship in 3191 along with the USS Discovery itself. Perhaps the ISS Enterprise will reappear and play a role in the second half of Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Kirks Starship Enterprise Returns In Star Trek: Discovery - With A Big Twist

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Emmys: Supporting Actress (Drama) — Will Elizabeth Debicki Continue Her Undefeated Awards Season Run for ‘The Crown?’

Princess Diana in The Crown Season 6

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Variety  Awards Circuit  section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars,  Emmys , Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by  Variety  senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

OSCARS  |  EMMYS  |  GRAMMYS  |  TONYS

2024 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

uhura star trek iii

Weekly Commentary (Updated: April 25, 2024) : With her captivating portrayal of Princess Diana in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s “The Crown,” Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki has earned universal acclaim and a trifecta of major televised awards, including Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and Screen Actors Guild honors. As the awards season shifts towards the Emmys, Debicki’s undefeated streak positions her as an undisputed frontrunner, potentially poised to claim her first Emmy trophy amid widespread industry admiration.

Debicki faces competition from her co-star Lesley Manville, who delivered a compelling performance as Princess Margaret, and Christine Baranski, the formidable matriarch in HBO/Max’s “The Gilded Age.” Nonetheless, Debicki is leading the pack. Her acclaimed work in “The Crown” not only captivated audiences, amid a mixed reaction for the final season, but it also earned her first Emmy nom for the series’ fifth season last year. Despite losing to Jennifer Coolidge’s scene-stealing role in “The White Lotus,” Debicki’s rising star may be too bright to ignore.

The race is intensified by a potential robust lineup from Apple’s “The Morning Show,” featuring Greta Lee, Nicole Beharie, Julianna Margulies, Holland Taylor, and Karen Pittman—all of whom have significant fan bases. The crowded field increases the likelihood of vote-splitting, potentially benefiting other potential nominees and contenders.

As the first phase of Emmy campaigning kicks off, attention is focused on “The Crown” and “The Morning Show” potentially dominating the field. Yet, there’s room for surprises. “The Gilded Age” has more potential nominees such as Cynthia Nixon and Audra McDonald, and industry buzz suggests that Leslie Uggams, fresh off her acclaimed role in the Oscar-winning “American Fiction,” could gain traction for Prime Video’s “Fallout.” Additionally, former Emmy darlings like Archie Panjabi from Apple’s “Hijacks” and standouts from Netflix’s “3 Body Problem,” such as Rosalind Chao and Eiza González, might also make an unexpected splash.

Other genre shows could also attract attention, including young standout Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura in Paramount’s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and Sophia Di Martino, who, along with her co-star Tom Hiddleston, could become favorites for their roles in Disney/Marvel’s superhero series “Loki.”

Read:  Variety’s  Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.

The Crown

And the Predicted Nominees Are

Leslie Uggams - Fallout

Next in Line

3 Body Problem. Eiza González as Auggie Salazar in episode 102 of 3 Body Problem. Cr. Ed Miller/Netflix © 2024

Also in Contention

Eligible performances (supporting drama actress).

Kristin-Scott-Thomas-in-Slow-Horses

**The list below is not complete and have been confirmed as officially submitted. All information is subject to change. Grouped by network that airs each series.

  • Christina Chang — “ The Good Doctor ” (ABC)
  • Fiona Gubelmann — “ The Good Doctor ” (ABC)
  • Jessica Matten — “Dark Winds” (AMC)
  • Jeri Ryan — “Dark Winds” (AMC)
  • Paula Malcomson — “Parish” (AMC)
  • Christina Hendricks — “The Buccaneers” (Apple TV+)
  • Aubri Ibrag — “The Buccaneers” (Apple TV+)
  • Josie Totah — “The Buccaneers” (Apple TV+)
  • Adina Porter — “The Changeling” (Apple TV+)
  • Amirah Vann — “The Changeling” (Apple TV+)
  • Archie Panjabi — “Hijack” (Apple TV+)
  • Jodi Balfour — “For All Mankind” (Apple TV+)
  • Nicole Beharie — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
  • Greta Lee — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
  • Julianna Margulies — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
  • Karen Pittman — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
  • Holland Taylor — “The Morning Show” (Apple TV+)
  • Emily Mortimer — “The New Look” (Apple TV+)
  • Maisie Williams — “The New Look” (Apple TV+)
  • Kiersey Clemons — “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (Apple TV+)
  • Mari Yamamoto — “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (Apple TV+)
  • Rashida Jones — “Silo” (Apple TV+)
  • Harriet Walter — “Silo” (Apple TV+)
  • Rosalind Eleazar — “ Slow Horses ” (Apple TV+)
  • Saskia Reeves — “ Slow Horses ” (Apple TV+)
  • Kristen Scott Thomas — “ Slow Horses ” (Apple TV+)
  • Anna Gunn — “Sugar” (Apple TV+)
  • Amy Ryan — “Sugar” (Apple TV+)
  • Bridget Moynahan — “ Blue Bloods ” (CBS)
  • Marg Helgenberger — “ CSI: Vegas ” (CBS)
  • Carra Patterson — “Elsbeth” (CBS)
  • Alexa Davalos — “FBI: Most Wanted” (CBS)
  • Stephanie Arcila — “ Fire Country ” (CBS)
  • Diane Farr — “ Fire Country ” (CBS)
  • Jules Latimer — “ Fire Country ” (CBS)
  • Yasmine Al-Bustami — “ NCIS: Hawai’i ” (CBS)
  • Tori Anderson — “ NCIS: Hawai’i ” (CBS)
  • Natasha Liu Bordizzo — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)
  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead — “Ahsoka” (Disney+)
  • Sophia Di Martino — “Loki” (Disney+)
  • Gugu Mbatha-Raw — “Loki” (Disney+)
  • Wunmi Mosaku — “Loki” (Disney+)
  • Adelaide Clemens — “Justified: City Primeval” (FX)
  • Gail Bean — “ Snowfall ” (FX)
  • Christine Baranski — “The Gilded Age” (Max)
  • Celia Keenan-Bolger — “The Gilded Age” (Max)
  • Audra McDonald — “The Gilded Age” (Max)
  • Cynthia Nixon — “The Gilded Age” (Max)
  • Kelli O’Hara — “The Gilded Age” (Max)
  • Natasha Behnam — “The Girls on the Bus” (Max)
  • Christina Elmore — “The Girls on the Bus” (Max)
  • Carla Gugino — “The Girls on the Bus” (Max)
  • Molly Burnett — “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC)
  • Rosalind Chao — “3 Body Problem” (Netflix)
  • Eiza González — “3 Body Problem” (Netflix)
  • Kiawentiio — “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (Netflix)
  • Elizabeth Debicki — “ The Crown ” (Netflix)
  • Lesley Manville — “ The Crown ” (Netflix)
  • Olivia Williams — “ The Crown ” (Netflix)
  • Emily Rudd — “One Piece” (Netflix)
  • Nicole Kidman — “Special Ops: Lioness” (Paramount+)
  • Mary Wiseman — “Star Trek: Discovery” (Paramount+)
  • Christina Chong — “ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ” (Paramount+)
  • Celia Rose Gooding — “ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ” (Paramount+)
  • Sarita Choudhury — “Fallout” (Prime Video)
  • Leslie Uggams — “Fallout” (Prime Video)
  • Rachel Blanchard — “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (Prime Video)
  • Jackie Chung — “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (Prime Video)
  • Sophie Okonedo — “The Wheel of Time” (Prime Video)
  • Birgundi Baker — “The Chi” (Showtime)
  • Nizhonniya Luxi Austin — “The Curse” (Showtime)
  • Hikmah Warsame — “The Curse” (Showtime)
  • Philippa Dunne — “The Woman in the Wall” (Showtime)
  • Sophie Skelton — “Outlander” (Starz)
  • Jennifer Tilly — “ Chucky ” (Syfy)

More Information (Supporting Drama Actress)

The Morning Show

2023 category winner : Jennifer Coolidge — “The White Lotus” (Max) — Season 2

2024 Emmy Awards Calendar and Timeline (all dates are subject to change)

  • Eligibility period: June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024
  • Feb. 29: Submissions open
  • May 9: Deadline for programs that identify as Primetime programming to upload all entry materials.
  • June 13: Nominations-round voting begins
  • June 24: Nominations-round voting ends at 10:00 p.m. PT
  • June 28 – July 8: Voting for peer group-specific top ten rounds panels (if applicable)
  • July 17: Primetime Emmy nominations are announced.
  • July 24: Deadline for errors and omissions to the nominations.
  • August 5: Find-round videos available for viewing.
  • August 15: Final-round voting begins.
  • August 26: Final-round voting ends at 10:00 p.m. PST.
  • Sept. 7-8: Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala
  • Sunday, Sept. 15: 76th Primetime Emmy Awards to air on ABC.

Emmy Awards Predictions

Other awards predictions, about the primetime emmy awards.

The Primetime Emmy Awards, commonly known as the Emmys, are awarded by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Established in 1949, these celebrate outstanding achievements in American primetime television. The Emmys are categorized into three divisions: the Primetime Emmy Awards for performance and production excellence, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards recognizing achievements in artistry and craftsmanship, and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards, which honor significant engineering and technological advancements. The eligibility period typically extends from June 1 to May 31 each year. The Television Academy, which hosts the Emmys, consists of over 20,000 members across 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans and executives.

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COMMENTS

  1. Nyota Uhura

    Nyota Uhura (/ n i ˈ oʊ t ə ʊ ˈ h ʊr ə /), or simply Uhura, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. In the original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six Star Trek feature films.A younger Uhura is portrayed by Celia Rose Gooding in the 2022 prequel series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, while an alternate ...

  2. Nyota Uhura

    Nyota Uhura was a female Human Starfleet officer who served from the mid-23rd through the early 24th century. Uhura had a distinguished career as a communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A and was later given command of the USS Leondegrance until her retirement. (Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek: The Animated Series; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star ...

  3. Nichelle Nichols

    Nichelle Nichols (/ n ɪ ˈ ʃ ɛ l / nish-EL; born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 - July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer and dancer whose portrayal of Uhura in Star Trek and its film sequels was groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs and recruit diverse astronauts ...

  4. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

    Yawn. In The Search for Spock, Uhura has her moment to shine when she pulls a gun on a fellow Starfleet officer. We're guessing that's not in her communications officer job description. All joking aside, Uhura joins the rest of the crew to support the film's themes of loyalty and friendship. She takes a job in the Old Station transporter room ...

  5. Nyota Uhura's Most Iconic Star Trek Moments

    Nyota Uhura remains a groundbreaking character even to this day. Originated by Nichelle Nichols, the communications officer of the starship Enterprise was not only a courageous and clever addition to the crew, but represented a better future for viewers. Nichols herself was asked to remain on the show by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as he said it was one of the few shows he allowed his ...

  6. Nichelle Nichols: 5 classic Star Trek moments that redefined sci-fi

    As an action-adventure character, Uhura didn't get as many kick-ass moments in The Original Series as fans probably would have liked. But when it came time for Star Trek III: The Search For ...

  7. The Untold Truth Of Star Trek's Nyota Uhura

    As a member of the original "Star Trek" crew, Lieutenant (and later, Commander) Nyota Uhura is a sci-fi legend. First appearing on television in 1966, Uhura was one of the first Black women to be ...

  8. Star Trek's Lt. Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, dies at 89

    Nichelle Nichols, best known as the communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura of the starship Enterprise, died July 30. She was 89. Her groundbreaking performances in Star Trek, corresponding with ...

  9. What made Nichelle Nichols essential to 'Star Trek' as Uhura

    Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' dies at 89. July 31, 2022. "Where I come from, size, shape or color make no difference," William Shatner's Kirk tells little person ...

  10. Nichelle Nichols, trailblazer known for playing Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek

    "Star Trek" fans are mourning the death of Nichelle Nichols. She played Lieutenant Uhura on TV and films. And in the 1960s, she was one of the first Black women starring on a TV show.

  11. Uhura, Black To the Future

    When Lt. Uhura appeared on the debut episode of Star Trek in September 1966, she was boldly going where no Black woman had gone before: as a continuing character on a network TV series depicting a future where the color of her skin didn't matter, only the content of her character. Two years and two-and-a-half months later she would be a ...

  12. Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols: a life in pictures

    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, 1984 As Commander Uhura. Photograph: Paramount/Allstar. ... Nichols promoting her book Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories in June 1995.

  13. Uhura's Story

    "Uhura's Story" While the Excelsior orbits a planet on the verge of breaking up, Uhura recounts an early mission aboard the Enterprise. Framing sequence takes place between the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Flashback sequence takes place around stardate 1297.80, preceding "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (TOS). This issue is replete with art ...

  14. Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' dead at 89 : NPR

    CBS via Getty Images. Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known as Star Trek 's communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, died Saturday night in Silver City, New Mexico. She was 89 years old ...

  15. Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (3/8) Movie CLIP

    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock movie clips: http://j.mp/1uwwqVxBUY THE MOVIE: http://amzn.to/AEHnJBDon't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/1u...

  16. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and produced by Harve Bennett, directed by Leonard Nimoy, and based on the television series Star Trek.It is the third film in the Star Trek franchise and is the second part of a three-film story arc that begins with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and concludes with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

  17. Why is Uhura left behind in Star Trek III? : r/startrek

    Vulcorian. • 7 mo. ago. I believe the novelization has Uhura staying behind to delay any attempt to stop the theft of the Enterprise. She then beams herself out to the Vulcan embassy to claim asylum. This lets Sarek know to start preparing for Kirk and Co's return to Vulcan with his son. NicholasIvins.

  18. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt Uhura in original Star Trek, dies aged

    First published on Sun 31 Jul 2022 15.49 EDT. Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lt Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series and helped to create a new era for television in ...

  19. Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura on 'Star Trek,' has died at 89

    Nichelle Nichols, who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood as communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original "Star Trek" television series, has died at the age of 89. Her son Kyle Johnson said Nichols died Saturday in Silver City, New Mexico. "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away.

  20. Nyota Uhura

    Nyota Uhura was a Human female best known as an influential officer in the Federation Starfleet in the 23rd and 24th centuries. Uhura was one of only a small group of servicemen who served under the command of Captain James T. Kirk continuously from his ascent to the captaincy of the USS Enterprise until the end of her 23rd century career, decades later. Nyota Uhura was born in the year 2239 ...

  21. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

    Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: Directed by Leonard Nimoy. With William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

  22. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

    "A Dying Planet. A Fight For Life. The Search For Spock." "All that they loved, all that they fought for, all that they stood for will now be put to the test… Join us on this, the final voyage of the starship Enterprise." Admiral James T. Kirk's defeat of Khan and the creation of the Genesis planet are empty victories. Spock is dead and McCoy is inexplicably being driven insane. An ...

  23. Who Plays Nyota Uhura On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds?

    Thanks to "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," which tells the story of the USS Enterprise crew before James T. Kirk (William Shatner) took command, a whole new generation is being introduced to Uhura ...

  24. Strange New Worlds Actors Reveal Cut Star Trek Musical Finale Moment

    In an interview with TV Insider, Celia Rose Gooding and Christina Chong reveal that there was a bonding moment between Ensign Nyota Uhura and Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh that was cut from the final version of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' musical episode's finale number, "We Are One." Read their quotes below: Celia Rose Gooding: La'an and Uhura had a little handshake moment that we made up on ...

  25. 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Returning for Seasons 3 & 4

    Meet the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 cast. Anson Mount (Capt. Christopher Pike) Captain Pike is the immediate predecessor to Capt. James T. Kirk on the Enterprise. The character has ...

  26. Kirks Starship Enterprise Returns In Star Trek: Discovery

    Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 - "Mirrors" The Mirror Universe's ISS Enterprise, last seen in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Mirror, Mirror," makes a shocking ...

  27. 2024 Emmys Supporting Actress Drama Predictions

    Other genre shows could also attract attention, including young standout Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura in Paramount's "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and Sophia Di Martino, who, along ...