Dec 19 2008
Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Has Died
Often referred to as the First Lady of Star Trek, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, has died of leukemia at her home age 75.
Majel has been part and parcel of the Star Trek franchise since day one; her roles included Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek, Lwaxana Troi (Deanna’s Mother) in The Next Generation and the voice of the USS Enterprise computer in almost every spin-off of the 1966 series. She recently confirmed that she would reprise the voice role in the upcoming Star Trek film directed by J.J. Abrams.
When Gene Roddenberry made his first pilot for Star Trek it was very different to the Kirk and Spock story we all know. Jeffrey Hunter was to play Christopher Pike, Captain of the Enterprise, while Majel was his second in command, referred to as Number One. Naturally, in 1966 studio execs didn’t want to have a woman in charge, so Majel was demoted to nurse and Hunter was replaced by Shatner.
I always always adored her in Trek. The onscreen chemistry she had with Patrick Stewart was incredible. She will live on, eternally, as the voice of Trek.
What a lady.
OH NO 🙁 awful shame with the new star trek coming out in may, Im a massive trekky, she was a hillarious character too, she will be missed
Ah such bad news. Such a lovely and classy lady. Trekdom will be the lesser without her
I was surprised when I read your post, because I had known all that stuff about her… but never considered myself the major-est trek fan.
@Sinéad I know – I loved it. Lwaxana didn’t appear in it enough.
@Lette It’s a shame she won’t get to see the reworkign of her husbands original creation.
@Peter Agreed!
@RP You are a trekkie – admit it.
I had no idea she played Deanna’s mother! I thought I was a trekkie psh!