Why Uhura Actress Nichelle Nichols Declined A Cameo In Star Trek: Voyager

The 1990s were a truly magical time to be a "Star Trek" fan. Not only were the films from the original series wrapping up but there were three "Star Trek" shows airing almost concurrently: "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and "Star Trek: Voyager." There were some great moments for overlap between the various shows, creating a shared universe that grew richer with each new addition. Not only that, but the franchise's use of time travel has made it pretty easy for crossover between all eras, like Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) crossing paths with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in the somewhat audacious film "Star Trek: Generations." 

Because of this there was plenty of opportunity for stars to cameo in other shows once their own series had ended, a time-honored "Star Trek" tradition that continues to this day and has been especially embraced by "Star Trek: Lower Decks," which has featured cameos from "Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager" characters. During the third season of "Voyager," Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Vulcan Lt. Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ) were able to experience some of Tuvok's time aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior under Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) during a mind-meld, allowing for some of the original series crew to return for cameos. Not only did Takei appear, but originally Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed the original show's communications officer, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, was also written into the episode. Unfortunately Nichols declined, and in an interview from around the episode's filming, Takei explained why. 

In an interview with Ian Spelling for Voyager Magazine (via ScreenRant), Takei shared that he had actually begged Nichols to take a cameo role in the episode, which gave his character a chance to shine in a leadership role following his onscreen reveal as Captain of the Excelsior in the 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." Unfortunately, no amount of pleading from her former co-star would get Nichols to accept, as Takei explained: 

"She would have communicated with me, as Uhura to Tuvok, over the viewscreen. I pleaded with her on the phone to do it because it would have been wonderful to have her back as well. She felt the part did not do her justice, so she passed on doing it."

While it would have been amazing to see Nichols reprise the role and join Takei, it's understandable that she turned down the cameo because there just wasn't enough for Uhura to do. The character was sidelined enough as it was when "The Original Series" aired, so why should she accept scraps in a cameo as well? It's our loss, but good for her. Nichols cared about the character and herself enough to not just take cameos for the paycheck, as she also ended up initially passing on a cameo in the J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" Kelvin timeline until he came up with an idea interesting enough for her to tackle. (Unfortunately, it didn't work out because of the writer's strike, but she might have played Zoe Saldaña's version of Uhura's grandmother!)

Seeing Nichols as a Starfleet officer meant the world to many young viewers, and her impact on science fiction media, the entertainment industry, and our world cannot be denied. The first Black woman in space was inspired to chase her dreams because she saw Uhura do it first on "Star Trek," and she also helped pave the way for other Black women in the franchise like Whoopi Goldberg, Penny Johnson Jerald, Sonequa Martin-Green, and more. Not only that, but Nichols' real-world generosity of spirit was clear through Uhura and she served as the beating heart of the Enterprise, providing a feminine contrast to the antics of Kirk and the rest of the boys. 

While it's a bummer that we didn't get to see her reprise the role later in her career, her desire to do right by the character is honestly pretty admirable. The "Voyager" episode did manage to get one other "Original Series" cameo, however, with Grace Lee Whitney reprising her role as Janice Rand. Since Rand was written off the series rather unfairly early on despite Whitney really giving it her all, it was a nice chance to show her character thriving in her later career. "Star Trek" seems to be doing a bit better by its women these days, but it's a shame that they haven't gotten equal treatment all along.