CHARACTER · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Nyota Uhura
- Appears in
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)
- Played by
- Zoe Saldaña
11 archived facts 4 topics
Nyota Uhura is a character in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), played by Zoe Saldaña.
11 Interesting Facts About Nyota Uhura
Easter Eggs & References (1)
About Star Trek: The Next Generation and its cast (10)
- #002
Nichelle was ready to walk away from Star Trek after its first season when Dr. Martin Luther King introduced himself to her. He argued, "as a fan" of the show, that she should stay, telling her (as quoted in the book "Beyond Uhura"): "This is not a Black role, and it is not a female role. You have the first nonstereotypical (sic) role on television - male or female. You have broken ground...You must not leave. You have opened a door that must not be allowed to close..." She stayed on the series, and the rest became history.
- #003
Her Uhura on Star Trek (1966) was among the first non-stereotypical roles given to an African-American actress. Before that, such actresses were typically shown as maids or housekeepers, and Nichols' part helped break that barrier. Like Sidney Poitier, whose characters had depth (Detective Virgil Tibbs, for instance), she played someone who was not a stereotype.
- #004
- #005
Uniform colors indicated the division to which a crew member belonged: * blue: sciences, medicine included * gold: command (navigation and weaponry included); * red: operations (engineering, security and ship's services such as communications included). Red shirts did not appear until several episodes into regular production, though, and Uhura and Scott were seen in command gold. In practice the gold uniforms often looked apple green, which some blamed on local interference with television signals. The command tunic was in fact green, but under most of the set's lighting it read as gold. The true color shows in Kirk's special "wrap-around" tunic and to some degree in the special-occasion "dress" uniforms, both made from other materials that reflected light differently. The uniforms were dry-cleaned, but the velour tended to shrink, so they needed constant alteration, which is why they often looked short on the actors and actresses.
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