In 2009, “Star Trek” seemed to be over. The last feature film in the franchise was 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis,” and that film was staggeringly unpopular, earning less money than any other “Star Trek” film before it, even counting for inflation. Then, in 2005, the last lingering Trek series, “Star Trek: Enterprise” was canceled after only four seasons, a full three years shorter than the three previous Trek shows. The world, it seemed, didn’t want “Star Trek” anymore. Indeed, in a warlike post-9/11 world, a pacifist sci-fi series that vaunted diplomacy and equality was no longer welcome.
J.J. Abrams managed to make “Star Trek” relevant again by upping the violence. His 2009 reboot film not only recast the familiar original series characters with younger, sexier versions, but he shifted the action into overdrive, including more shooting, explosions, punching, death, and cataclysm. This was a “Star Trek” film for people who were familiar with some of the characters and iconography from the 1966 TV series, but who never had the patience for its heady sci-fi stories or multicultural underpinnings.
To connect this “Star Trek” to its forebear, however, Abrams hired Leonard Nimoy to reprise his role as Spock. Credited as Spock Prime, the older Vulcan was able to visit his younger self (Zachary Quinto) thanks to a rift in the spacetime continuum. Spock’s presence in Abrams’ reboot was sort of like getting the Pope’s blessing, an assurance to old-school Trekkies that, yes, this was indeed connected to the “Star Trek” you remember.
And there was a stage in the film’s production when further connections would have been provided. At a 2008 appearance at the Supanova Pop Cultre Expo, covered by an article in TrekMovie, Nichelle Nichols — Lieutenant Uhura on the original series — was visiting the set of “Star Trek” in 2009, and Abrams had a great idea for a cameo. Sadly, the plan simply never made it to the page.
I’m not interested in a legacy
It should be noted right away that Nichols, who passed in 2022, loved Zoe Saldaña’s performance, and was eager to see what Abrams was going to do with “Star Trek.” Although Abrams has admitted that he wasn’t a Trekkie as a youth, he was still excited to meet Nichols, as she has attained a high station within popular culture because of “Star Trek.” Abrams also, when talking with Nichols, began spitballing ideas as to how she might appear in his film. The two, however, hemmed and hawed a little bit, as Leonard Nimoy seemed to be the one “legacy” character. Nichols recalled:
“He was very excited … like a young fan. He was like, ‘I can’t believe I am sitting here with Uhura.’ And he said, ‘You know, I would really like to find a valid reason for you to be in the movie.’ And, of course, I became: ‘Ooh! Wow! I would love it.’ But how? And he says, ‘That is the point, I don’t want it to be a gimmick, I don’t want to just be doing that to just do it.’ Leonard is in it because the whole movie is about him, about Spock.”
This was a valid concern. Including characters merely because of their legacy clout may be temporarily satisfying to fans, but it can’t be satisfying for an actor. If Uhura Prime was going to be included, she needed something more significant to do than merely provide a glorified cameo. One might recall the use of Walter Koenig and James Doohan in 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations.” The two only appeared in the opening scene and didn’t have a major bearing on the main plot. Koenig and Doohan were seemingly okay with that — they agreed to appear after all — but the other original “Star Trek” actors all refused because they had nothing to do.
Then Abrams thought of something for Nichols to do.
I’m my own grandma
Abrams and Nichols quickly brainstormed on the spot, and Abrams had an idea that they both liked. Nichols continued:
“He said ‘I’m just thinking’ — and he was telling me about the young actress who got the part to play the young Uhura, the pre-Uhura, Zoe Saldaña — and he said ‘I think she could learn a lot from a lovely lady.’ And he said,’You know what I’d love? I’d love for you to play her mother!’ And I said, ‘You know what I’d really like? I’d like to play her grandmother!’ And he said, ‘You’re too young to play her grandmother!’ and I said: ‘This is what grandmothers look like!'”
Nichols was 77 at the time, and her son, Kyle, was already 57. Zoe Saldaña, meanwhile, was only 31. Nichols could have played either the new Uhura’s mother or Uhura’s grandmother. “Star Trek” as noted in the past, people live a heck of a lot longer in the future, so Nichols could even have played Uhura’s great-grandmother, and merely looked spry for, say, 110.
Sadly, because of a writers’ strike, no changes could ethically be made to the “Star Trek” script, and the idea of including Nichols had to be scrapped. A pity, as it would have been wonderful to see Nichols again, and it would have added a little inter-franchise support. Nichols, luckily, continued to act, appearing in the high-profile “Star Trek” fan films “Star Trek: Of Gods and Men” and “Star Trek: Renegades.” She also appeared in “Sharknado 5: Global Swarming.” Abrams, meanwhile, missed out.
