Star Trek star Zoe Saldaña recently paid tribute to original Uhura actor Nichelle Nichols, who died on July 30, 2022.

Saldaña, who stepped into the role made famous by Nichols in the 1966 Star Trek TV show and the films that followed it, praised her late predecessor in a lengthy Instagram post. In the post, Saldaña describes Nichols as a "unique artist" and recognizes her as a trailblazer for women of color in the entertainment industry. The star also recalled the times she met Nicholls and how the elder actor supported her when she first took over as Lieutenant Uhura. The post was accompanied by several images from throughout Nichols' career, including two of her and Saldaña posing together at the 2009 BET Awards.

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Nichols died of natural causes in her own home at the age of 89. Her son Kyle Johnson broke the news via Nichols' Instagram account, in a statement that evoked the cosmic imagery associated with the actor's iconic Star Trek role. "Her light... 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," his statement read, in part.

Hollywood Pays Tribute to Star Trek's Nichelle Nichols

Nichols' co-star George Takei also mourned Nichols' passing, eulogizing the Uhura actor on Twitter. Takei, who played Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu alongside Nichols in both the TV show and movies, echoed Saldaña's sentiments by describing his former colleague as "trailblazing [and] incomparable." In a subsequent tweet, Takei shared a recent photo of himself and Nichols smiling and making the Vulcan salute with their hands, which he captioned "We lived long and prospered together."

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Star Trek lead actor William Shatner quickly followed Takei's lead, taking to Twitter to express his sadness at the news that Nichols had died. "She was a beautiful woman [and] played an admirable character that did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US [and] throughout the world. I will certainly miss her. Sending my love and condolences to her family," he tweeted. In their respective roles as Captain James T. Kirk and Uhura, Shater and Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses on US television, a moment widely regarded as ground-breaking for the medium.

Aside from Nichols' Star Trek co-stars, many other Hollywood veterans celebrated the late actor's life and achievements, as well. Most notably, Wonder Woman's Lynda Carter saluted Nichols for breaking down barriers faced by women in the industry. "Many actors become stars, but few stars can move a nation. Nichelle Nichols showed us the extraordinary power of Black women and paved the way for a better future for all women in media," Carter tweeted.

Source: Instagram