OFFBEAT: Local 'Star Trek' legendary actress here this weekend

For many fans of the original series "Star Trek," the quiet, serious and sexy character Uhura seemed to be the real force guiding the spaceship The Enterprise.

After all, she, usually with ever-present headset nestled with her bouffant hairdo, was the one responsible for the ship's communication system.

As for the actress behind the character, she's one of our region's claim-to-fames.

Nichelle Nichols, now 76, was born Grace Nichols, in tiny Robbins, Ill., which is right over the Indiana state line by Harvey, Ill.

And I've just been informed she's finally making the trek back to the Midwest, greeting guests and fans while joining other nostalgia and pop culture personality favorites from TV and movies at the 2009 Wizard World fan event at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center today, Saturday and Sunday. Admission to this huge and curious event (wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a camera) is $25 at wizarduniverse.com.

Nichols never receives the credit she deserves for her many firsts as an African-American actress who first forged her successful career during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Before gaining her role on "Star Trek" in 1966, she had to face the usual few stereotypical roles which were available to black actresses of her day, usually subservient roles, such as maids and cooks.

In Nichols case, she played a nurse on a few episodes of the primetime television soap opera "Peyton Place" and a native woman opposite actor Ron Ely's title role on the series "Tarzan."

She says her role on the space-age drama broke the stereotype barrier among African-American actresses, the same lauding given to actor.

And although not usually mentioned, maybe because "Star Trek" falls into the genre of science fiction, TV historians also hail the series and Nichols. She portrayed a character on a TV show who was treated the same as characters of other races, setting an early standard for multiculturalism.

In fact, in one episode, her co-star William Shatner even shared the first on-screen kiss between a black female and white male on American television. She also became the first African-American to place her handprints in front of Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theater, along with the rest of the "Star Trek" crew. In 1992 she was awarded her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I ran a long list on Sunday in my column of other notables attending this weekend, including actor Dan Lauria, best known as the father from TV's "The Wonder Years;"pro-wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper; model and "Baywatch" beauty Donna D'Errico; actor Peter Facinelli of the hit vampire movie "Twilight" and the new cable series "Nurse Jackie;" actress Michelle Rodriguez of "The Fast and the Furious" and "Lost;" actress Emma Caulfield of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer;" actress Rhona Mitra of "Boston Legal'" actorBilly Dee Williams of "Dynasty" and "Star Wars" fame; actress Margot Kidder aka Lois Lane of the "Superman" movie series; actor Ernie Hudson of "Ghostbusters;" pop singer Taylor Dane famed for her 1987 hit "Tell it to My Heart;" actor-green good guy Lou Ferrigno of "The Incredible Hulk;" actress Lori Lee Petty, who had a "sister" female lead role in "A League of Their Own;" and actor Edward James Olmos of TV's "Battlestar Galactica."

Also just added are: model Sandra Taylor, actor Christopher Knight (Peter on "Brady Bunch") and his wife, model Adrianne Curry and actress Erin Gray of "Buck Rogers" and "Silver Spoons."

http://nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/article_061eff84-9a7c-5072-af45-61572802657f.html