by Nathaniel R
Normally we wouldn't pair an obituary but within 24 hours we lost two actresses of the same generation who both helped create an inarguably iconic character with a three syllable name starting with U. What were the chances? After the jump, tributes to Nichelle Nichols and Pat Carroll...
Nichelle Nichols (1932-2022)
Nichols, who was 89, passed away yesterday. To rework a Star Trek phrase, she boldly went where no actress had gone before. That was mostly from lack of opportunity, of course, but the culture always needs firsts and Nichols made waves. When the sci-fi classic show Star Trek began in 1966, Americans were not used to seeing black women on the television screen in non-domestic roles and Diahann Carroll's historic leading role in Julia was two TV seasons away still. Nichols beauty and her no-nonsense take on the capable Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was something brand new at the time. Uhura wasn't just good at her job but fourth in command of an entire Starship. While Star Trek was not a big ratings hit, the show made enough of an impact to last for three seasons and amass such a legion of hardcore fans after its cancellation that a movie franchise was born just a decade later. Usually when my family went to movies during my childhood it was my idea. Not so with the Star Trek movies which they were eager to see. Yes, my family were Trekkies, watching the show in reruns. I never caught the bug but I did perk up whenever an episode leaned into Uhura or Sulu (easily my two favourite characters)
We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars. pic.twitter.com/pmQaKDb5zw
— NASA (@NASA) July 31, 2022
Not only was Nichols among the first black actresses as a regular on a major tv show but she also is believed to have had the first interracial kiss on American television in an episode where Captain Kirk and Uhura Nichols embrace.
To her credit Nichols embraced both the symbolic importance of her fictional character and her place in pop culture. She worked with NASA to promote women and minorities entering the space program. She also used her genre-queen status for gigs in her senior years as on the fantasy series Heroes, and voice work on both Gargoyles and Futurama.
Pat Carroll (1927-2022)
Pat Carroll passed away earlier today at 95. Today's audiences know Pat Carroll mostly for her Oscar-worthy and much imitated / quoted vocal performance as Ursula the sea witch in Disney's smash hit The Little Mermaid (1989). The movie saved the flailing studio's animation wing reenergizing their purpose and audience interest simultaneously, and won an Oscar in the process. A huge part of that was Carroll's gleefully wicked voicework. We here at The Film Experience consider it one of the all time greatest voice performances and Ursula one of the best villains of all time. But the sea witch wasn't the half of her career. By 1989 she was already a mainstay of showbiz with two major trophies on her shelf. While superstardom never happened she had a long career across all actors mediums.
Her Grammy winning momentShe was in the movies by her 20s (Hometown Girl) though she largely skipped film to concentrate on television and and stage. She won an Emmy in her 30s (The Caesar Hour) and reeived a Tony nomination, too (To Catch a Star). In her 40s she dabbled in cinema again (With Six You Get Eggroll) though she was mostly a regular on TV (The Danny Thomas Show, The Red Skelton Hour). In her early 50s she won the Grammy for a Spoken Word album of the one woman play Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein. Eight years after that Grammy win, now in her 60s, The Little Mermaid opened. After the Disney hit she continued to do voicework for various movies, had plentiful TV guest star gigs, and returned to Broadway twice.
She even had one final important film role in her 70s, as part of the award-winning ensemble of Songcatcher (2000) for which she received a Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She will be missed but, thanks to Ursula, her voice in particular will live on forever.
Do you remember the first time you saw the original Star Trek series or the first time you saw The Little Mermaid.