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In 2009, director J.J. Abrams re-launched the Star Trek movie franchise, casting new actors in the roles of the classic crew of the USS Enterprise. The movie honored the classic series by casting Leonard Nimoy as Spock, linking the old and new timelines. Yet another principal star from Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, nearly played a role in the movie.
Nichols was reportedly in the running for a cameo appearance as Uhura's grandmother. As honorable as this would have been to her legacy, however, it would have added confusion to the timeline and canon of the movie. In the end, the suggestion was abandoned to maintain the integrity of the story and not complicate the Kelvin timeline created in the 2009 film.
Nichelle Nichols' near cameo in Star Trek (2009)
Nichelle Nichols, the Lt. Uhura from Star Trek: The Original Series, talked with J.J. Abrams about reprising the role in the 2009 movie. During a 2008 pop culture convention, Nichols shared that Abrams indicated she could reprise her role as the mother of the new Uhura, played by Zoe Saldaña.
Nichols said she could, instead, play Uhura's grandmother. Abrams was said to be excited about the notion, but the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike halted any cameo plans she might have had. The timeline of the film, the Kelvin timeline, branched off from the Star Trek original universe when the villain Nero went back in time and destroyed the USS Kelvin.
This permitted the appearance of Leonard Nimoy's Spock through a time-travel plot device. But explaining the existence of the other original cast members, particularly in family-related roles to their original characters, would have been more complicated. Nichols' suggested cameo as a family member of Uhura would have posed problems regarding continuity and the timeline logic.
Why Nichols' cameo would have created a timeline problem
Leonard Nimoy's return as Spock was consistent in the story, since it had a direct correlation with the overall time-travel plot of the film. This is unlike casting Nichelle Nichols as Uhura's grandmother, which would confuse the distinction between the old and new timelines. Abrams did not wish for any cameo to come off as a gimmick.
The movie was primarily placed in the 2250s, and time travel alone was the only explanation for Nimoy's appearance. Casting Nichols as another character, even one that was connected to Uhura, might have caused confusion among the audience and compromised the movie's attempt to have a separate timeline.
The movie required a proper explanation to include any of the original series cast members. Even as Nimoy's Spock remained integral to the narrative, placing Nichols in some other role would have threatened making the movie some kind of fan service instead of a cohesive motion picture.
What the filmmakers elected to do is make the plot either include Nimoy as Spock or place Nichols as the grandmother of Uhura, not both. Keeping the integrity of the Kelvin timeline intact and stopping short of unnecessary complications with Star Trek canon, this seemed like the best idea.
The legacy of Nichelle Nichols and Uhura
While Nichelle Nichols did not make an appearance in the 2009 movie, her presence was still felt. Nichols' acting as Uhura in the original series opened doors for women and Black women in science fiction television. Her legacy set the stage for future versions of Uhura, such as Zoe Saldaña's rendition in the revamped films.
Nichols remained active in attending Star Trek conventions and events until a few years prior to her passing in 2022 at age 89. Nichols' final on-screen performance as Uhura was in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in 1991. A cameo in the 2009 movie would have been a great nod to her career, but withholding her cameo to preserve the movie's narrative kept the story pure.
Abrams and the crew preferred to honor Nichols' legacy with the character of Uhura and the movie's respectful homage to the original series, instead of a possibly distracting cameo.
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The filmmakers chose against it to keep the Kelvin timeline's narrative coherence intact. Nichols' contribution to Star Trek is still felt, and her legacy lives on through Uhura and the generations she has inspired.
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