When actress Nichelle Nichols made her debut on Star Trek’s original TV series in 1966, it was a historic moment. She not only played the role of Nyota Uhura — a brilliant linguist, translator, and cryptographer as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s communications officer — but she also broke new ground in the portrayal of African American women on-screen.
She wasn’t another maid or nanny; she was an intelligent, multifaceted woman who went beyond the typical stereotypes of how Black women were cast in the 1960s. She also took part in the first interracial kiss on national TV and became a figure of grace, elegance, and smarts as the Enterprise crew turned to her character to solve complex problems in space.
Later, the role of Uhura would be played by actress Zoe Saldaña in Star Trek feature films Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Now, the role of Nyota Uhura is being played by 22-year-old Broadway actor Celia Rose Gooding on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The original series premiered on Paramount+ on May 5, with its season finale on July 7.
The series follows Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) as they explore the galaxy’s worlds aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, with Uhura playing a pivotal role in their discoveries. A second season of the show is in production, set to debut in 2023.
Celia Rose Gooding attends the New York premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on April 30, 2022 in New York City.
Gooding made her Broadway debut in the Alanis Morissette musical Jagged Little Pill in the role of Mary Frances “Frankie” Healy, which got her a 2020 Tony Award nomination; she was the youngest nominee in the category. She was also the recipient, along with her fellow Jagged Little Pill cast members, of the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Gooding comes from a musical theater family too. Her mother is LaChanze, an award-winning singer, actress, and dancer who won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her role as Celie Harris Johnson in The Color Purple in 2006.
With her role, Gooding shows us the representation she wants to see in the world. She tells Shondaland why she chose to rock her natural, short hair on-screen, opting out of wearing a wig — plus her thoughts on the legacy of her role and what we’re potentially overlooking on Broadway.
NADJA SAYEJ: Black women in Star Trek have always had a special legacy. How does it feel to be a part of that?
CELIA ROSE GOODING: I was pretty young when the Star Trek movies came out in 2009. My mother was a huge fan of those movies, so I remember her taking us to the theater to watch those movies. That’s what really introduced me to the Star Trek world.
NS: What did you think? Did the films really take you away?
CRG: I’m a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy. I’m a serial escapist, as I like to call it. Any opportunity to step out of the very literal plane of existence at the time was exciting for me to escape and get to know that universe. I wasn’t super into sci-fi before I was introduced to Star Trek. Now, I’m a huge fan by proxy, by association, I would say.
NS: What was your mom’s reaction, since she is such a huge Trekkie?
CRG: My mom freaked out much more than I did. She was so excited for me to step into this universe. My mother and her family watched the original series when she was little.
NS: How important is it to you — to Black history — playing the role of Nyota Uhura? It’s so iconic.
CRG: Yes, Nichelle Nichols was a pioneer in the industry for Black women. She was the first Black woman to play a role of non-servitude on TV. She is one of the, if not the first, Black women to really widen the scope of the characters available for Black women. The 1960s were an incredibly turbulent time for Black women outside of entertainment. But to have an opportunity to cement the importance of Black people in the future and in sci-fi history is groundbreaking.
NS: Why is Nichelle Nichols important to you as an actor?
CRG: I would not have a career without Nichelle, obviously. If Nichelle didn’t continue with her character, I don’t think we — Black people, Black women — would have had the opportunity to start the path to showcase ourselves in roles of importance, intelligence, and capability. In roles where we’re not serving others. We are showcasing ourselves as the incredibly gifted, intelligent, and capable people that we’ve always been. But to showcase and cement that in entertainment, that was, is, and will continue to be groundbreaking. Hundreds of years from now, we will have this moment knowing that in 1966, we made it really clear that Black women have an integral role in the future. We have to continue to forge that path for ourselves so we can eventually get there.
NS: What was it about Nichelle Nichols’ performance that you loved?
CRG: I loved that she was a lieutenant in the original series; she was a commanding officer. She was someone who had a role of importance. She had people looking at her and utilizing her for her intelligence that she had naturally. She was someone who was multitalented. In her role, she was a polyglot; she had knowledge of different alien cultures. She was someone who her captain and crew looked to in life-or-death moments. She was always thinking, “How can we connect with these people?” She was someone who was constantly giving up herself and sharing her knowledge, her brainpower. I think that’s historically something that Black women have not had the opportunity to do up until that point.
Nichelle Nichols appears as Lt. Nyota Uhura in a 1968 Star Trek promotional photo.
NS: How did you bring your own flair to playing the role of Nyota Uhura? I like to think you bring your voice; your singing plays a role in the series. You come from Broadway!
CRG: Having a musical theater background was definitely helpful in this series, seeing as Nichelle had a musical background too. She was a singer and dancer with albums out. On-screen, she was incredibly graceful, having incredible posture and lines to her. We got to see Nichelle singing in the original series. To bust out the gate with her, to showcase her voice with the singing background that I have married so well. While Nichelle’s singing was integral to her, we didn’t get to see a lot of her. We didn’t get to see her background [or see her] showcase her full self. Now in 2022, we have the opportunity to really flesh out this character — and give her the spotlight she has always deserved.
NS: Why was it important for you to not put a wig on as Uhura?
CRG: I auditioned with this haircut. They liked it. They asked me if I would consider wearing a wig. They never forced me; they left it up to me. I decided that it would be incredibly important for me to showcase my short hair. I know Nichelle really fought for the presentation of having an Afro. She really wanted to have an Afro on-screen, and it was pushed back from the higher-ups at the time. She really wanted to have an opportunity to showcase Black women with their natural hair in the future.
NS: What do you love most about the way Nichelle broke boundaries on TV as a Black woman?
CRG: There’s a quote from her where she says: “Black women’s presentation has always been different, multifaceted; there’s so many ways women can style their hair. Any of them would be appropriate in the future. All of them are appropriate for the future.” So, for me to be able to rock my short Caesar cut, I had Nichelle’s vision in mind of what Black women in the future look like. I didn’t want to alter my appearance, to alter my look into something that may have been more acceptable in 2022 standards. I wanted to have something that felt natural and appropriate for my presentation because this is how I rock my hair all the time. And for as long as I can!
Celia Rose Gooding attends the 74th Annual Tony Awards at Winter Garden Theater on Sept. 26, 2021 in New York City.
Knowing that Nichelle fought for all kinds of Black women’s presentations in the future, it was important for me to show up as myself. The Star Trek and Paramount team were excited for me to have this opportunity, to showcase myself like this. I feel beautiful! It’s important to play a character that I feel is beautiful and has always been applauded for her beauty and grace. To do this and have this haircut really meant the moon to me.
NS: Coming from a background in theater, what do you wish people going to see a show on Broadway would realize?
CRG: Broadway has been commended and applauded for its professionalism. When it comes to live theater, there’s so many moving parts — so much is happening behind the scenes, backstage, and even underneath the stage sometimes. Broadway is commended for its presentation and the final product of a show. What people don’t know is that there’s so much going on backstage — choreography, lighting, sound, incredibly long meetings. There’s so much that comes into play when it comes to putting on a show.
Yes, the cast [gets applauded], but I think there needs to be a bit more praise for the talents that put these shows together. As the cast, we are the last bit of it all. The crew, the writers, the set dressers, costume designers — so many people come into play. It’s not just the cast; it’s so many people putting their heart and souls into these shows so the cast can do what we do.
NS: What advice do you have for young actors who look up to you?
CRG: I would say take your time. Breathe. I got into this industry when I was really young. So many people say, “I don’t have a Broadway credit, and I’m 20, and I’ll never have a future career.” That’s not the case. Don’t rush yourself. Be kind to yourself. As an actor, your profession is coming from your likeness and your energy. You have to remember to be kind to your mental and emotional state. You can say no to things. You don’t have to say yes to everything that falls into your lap. Stay true to yourself, stay true to your heart, and the projects meant for you will come to you, no matter what.
Nadja Sayej is an arts and culture jounralist based in New York City who has written 5 books, including Biennale Bitch and The Celebrity Interview Book.
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