Nichelle Nichols' Presence Was Felt Every Day On The Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Set

This post contains spoilers for the first episode of season 2's "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

"Star Trek" actor Nichelle Nichols is a legend. The performer who first embodied Lt. Nyota Uhura in Gene Roddenberry's franchise and genre-defining 1966 series passed away last year at the age of 89. Her memory lives on in countless ways, from the astronauts and actors who were inspired to follow their dreams after seeing a confident Black woman on screen in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, to the "Star Trek" films and shows that still honor her today. The season premiere of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" did just that this week, ending its episode with a sweet note dedicating it to the late star. "For Nichelle," the title card read, "who was first through the door and showed us the stars. Hailing frequencies forever open."

It's a beautiful tribute, one that's fitting for a trailblazer whose most famous work featured a call "to boldly go" where others have yet to tread. Nichols did just that, as one-half of TV's most historic interracial kiss, as a Black woman in a stereotype-bucking role, and as an actor known for her poise and talent. 

The cast of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" has a lot of love for Nichols too: In a roundtable interview ahead of the new season's premiere (which was attended by /Film's Vanessa Armstrong), actor Celia Rose Gooding spoke about how Nichols impacts her own performance as Uhura to this day.

Celia Rose Gooding, who admitted that she's "such a spiritualist," said that she feels Nichelle Nichols' presence through the memories others have shared about her, so much so that the "Strange New Worlds' actor feels Nichols' influence daily, despite her passing. 

"Her presence sits with me every day on set," Gooding said, adding, "I don't know, not to get too audacious, but I very much feel her with me in how we tell the story of this character." The actor expresses her hope of someday meeting Nichols in another world, but says she never got to connect with the woman who first embodied Uhura in person while she was alive. "I didn't get to meet Nichelle unfortunately before she passed," she said. "And that is something that sits with me in a different place every day."

Gooding continued:

"Everything about what I do is directly because of her, especially on this show, and her impact on not only this franchise but on entertainment, period, it does not go unnoticed and it does not go unfelt." 

In addition to her work on "Star Trek," Nichols appeared in a range of movies including the blaxploitation flick "Truck Turner" and the family comedy "Snow Dogs." She also acted on television and on stage in plays, including Jean Genet's "The Blacks." When she wasn't in front of the camera, she worked with NASA to make space aviation a more accessible field for people of color.

Celia Rose Gooding says she's felt close to Nichelle Nichols thanks to the stories Nichols' loved ones have shared with her. "I feel her in myself, but I also feel her in the stories that people share about her with me and in getting to meet some of her lovely family," Gooding said, calling Nichols "impactful and so lovely and generous." 

Gooding's own performance is different than Nichols' by design — she plays a younger, greener version of the crew member, initially still a cadet — but the actor is still able to draw on the "wealth of information" that she has about Nichols through internet research and accounts from those who knew her. "So while I did not get to meet her, I feel as though I know her as well as I could if I did," Gooding concluded.

While it's too soon to tell how closely Gooding's Uhura will follow in her predecessor's footsteps this season, the prequel reimagining of the character has already proven herself resilient and endearing. An episode from the first season dove deep into Uhura's backstory, explaining that the death of her parents drove her to join Starfleet. The cadet started out unsure of her place in the universe, but by the first season's end, she was saving the day regularly with the best of them. We can't wait to see where Uhura goes next — and have no doubt Gooding will keep the spirit of Nichols alive with her great performance.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" streams new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+.