Nichols, Nichelle 1933(?)-

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Nichols, Nichelle 1933(?)-

PERSONAL

Original name, Grace Nichols; born December 28, 1933 (some sources cite 1936), in Robbins, IL; daughter of Samuel Earl (a factory worker and civic leader) and Lishia (maiden name, Parks) Nichols; married Foster Johnson (a dancer), 1951 (divorced); married Duke Mondy (a songwriter and music arranger), c. 1968 (divorced); children: (first marriage) Kyle. Education: Attended Chicago Ballet Academy, 1950-56; studied law at Columbia University. Avocational Interests: Oil painting, designing clothes, reading science fiction, writing, sculpting, sports cars.

Addresses:

Office—AR-Way Productions, 22647 Ventura Blvd., Suite 121, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. Agent—Artists Group, 1930 Century Park W., Suite 303, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Career:

Actress and singer. Solo performer at concert and night clubs throughout the United States and Canada, 1950s; toured the United States, Canada, and Europe as a singer with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands; nightclub performer at the Blue Note and the Playboy Club, both New York City. Women in Motion, Inc., founder, 1975, president, and minority recruitment officer, including assignment to recruit astronauts for Johnson Space Center in Texas; AR-Way Productions, Woodland Hills, CA, president, beginning in 1979. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, member of national board of advisers; Smithsonian Institution, narrator of "Space: What's in It for Me?," 1978; made television commercial for Psychic Encounters, 1996. Kwanza Foundation, founding member, 1973, and spokesperson.

Member:

National Space Society (member of board of governors).

Awards, Honors:

Named woman of the year, National Education Association, 1978; Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Films, 1980, for Star Trek: The Motion Picture; Distinguished Service Award, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1989; ACT-SO Award for the Performing Arts, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), 1991; received Star on the Walk of Fame, 1992; Sara Siddons Award nominations, for The Blacks and Kicks and Company; TV Land Award nominations (with William Schatner), most memorable kiss, and television moment that became headline news, 2006, both for Star Trek.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Dancer, Porgy and Bess, Columbia, 1959.

Dice player, Mister Buddwing (also known as Woman without a Face), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966.

Made in Paris, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1966.

Jenny Ribbock, Doctor, You've Got to Be Kidding, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967.

Ruana, Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion, 1967.

Ruana, Tarzan's Deadly Silence, 1970.

Dorinda, Truck Turner (also known as Black Bullet), American International Pictures, 1974.

Lieutenant Commander Uhura, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Paramount, 1979.

Commander Uhura, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (also known as Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan), Paramount, 1982.

Commander Uhura, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Paramount, 1984.

Commander Uhura, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (also known as The Voyage Home: Star Trek IV), Paramount, 1986.

Sergeant Leona Hawkins, The Supernaturals, Republic Entertainment, 1987.

Commander Uhura, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Paramount, 1989.

Commander Uhura, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, 1991.

Herself, William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (documentary), Paramount Home Video, 1995.

Herself, Trekkies (documentary), Paramount, 1997.

Voice of Diane Maza, Gargoyles: Brothers Betrayed (animated), 1998.

Amelia Brooks, Snow Dogs (also known as Chiens des neiges), Buena Vista, 2002.

Grace, Roddenberry on Patrol, Planet X, 2003.

Oman, Surge of Power, Surge of Power, 2004.

Miss Mable, Are We There Yet?, Columbia, 2005.

Uhura, Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, CBS, 2007.

Film Executive Producer:

Lady Magdalene's, 2006.

Film Choreographer:

Lady Magdalene's, 2006.

Television Appearances; Series:

Lieutenant Uhura, Star Trek, NBC, 1966-69.

Voice of Lieutenant Uhura, Star Trek (animated; also known as The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, Star Trek: The Animated Adventures, and Star Trek: The Animated Series), NBC, 1973-75.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Norma Bartlett, "To Set It Right," The Lieutenant, NBC, 1963.

Ruana, Tarzan, NBC, 1966.

Dateline: Hollywood, 1967.

It Takes Two, 1969.

"The People Versus Howard," The D.A., 1971.

Diane, "The Deadly Gamesmen," Ironside, 1972.

Voices of the computer, Security Officer Davison, Dara, Lieutenant Ann Nored, Alice, female Ursinoid miner, Mess Officer Briel, Devna, Magen, alien entity, Karla Five, and Dr. Sarah April, Star Trek (animated; also known as The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek," Star Trek: The Animated Adventures, and Star Trek: The Animated Series), NBC, multiple episodes, between 1973 and 1974.

Head of the Class, ABC, 1988.

Host, Inside Space, Sci-Fi Channel, 1992.

"Fan Clubs," The Joan Rivers Show, 1993.

Voice of Diane Maza, "Her Brother's Keeper," Gargoyles (animated), syndicated, c. 1994.

Voice of Thoth Khepera, "Avatar," Batman: The Animated Series (animated), 1994.

Voice of Diane Maza, "Deadly Force," Gargoyles (animated), syndicated, 1994.

Voice of Diane Maza, "The Cage," Gargoyles (animated), syndicated, 1995.

Voice of Diane Maza, "Mark of the Panther," Gargoyles (animated), syndicated, 1996.

Uhura, "Trials and Tribble-ations," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 1996.

Voice of Miriam the Vampire Queen, "The Vampire Queen," Spider-Man (animated), 1997.

"Renunciation," G vs E, USA Network, 2000.

Voice, "Anthology of Interest I," Futurama (animated), Fox, 2000.

Voice of Chief, "The Yukari Imprint," Buzz Lightyear of Star Command (animated), syndicated and UPN, 2000.

"Where No Fan Has Gone Before," Futurama (animated), Fox, 2002.

"NBC All-Stars Edition," Weakest Link (also known as The Weakest Link USA), NBC, 2002.

"Star Trek," After They Were Famous, ITV, 2003.

Super Secret TV Formula, VH1, 2003.

"Simple Simpson," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 2004.

"Chicks That Kick," Space Top 10 Countdown, The Space Channel, 2007.

Also appeared in Showbiz Today.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Lieutenant Uhura, Leonard Nimoy: Star Trek Memories, 1983.

The 11th Annual Black Achievement Awards, 1990.

Black Stars in Orbit, PBS, 1990.

The Tube Test, ABC, 1990.

Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special, 1991.

Starathon '92: A Weekend with the Stars, 1992.

Star Trek: A Captain's Log, UPN, 1994.

Small Steps, Big Strides: The Black Experience in Hollywood, 1998.

Dorothy Dandridge: Little Girl Lost, Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television, TV Land, 2002.

TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV (also known as 1st Annual TV Land Awards), TV Land, 2003.

How William Shatner Changed the World, Discovery Channel Canada, 2005.

Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner, Comedy Central, 2006.

Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier, History Channel, 2007.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Joanne Logan, Great Gettin' Up Mornin', 1964.

Lisa Downey, Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole, 1972.

Charmain, Antony and Cleopatra (also known as The Tragedy of Antony & Cleopatra), 1983.

Voice of S.S. Stella, Commander Toad in Space, 1993.

Last Angel of History (also known as Der letzte engel der geschichte), 1995.

Sagan, The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space (movie), Starz!, 1995.

Moonshot—The Spirit of 69, 1999.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

The 100 Most Memorable TV Moments, TV Land, 2004.

Stage Appearances:

Dancer, College Inn (revue), Chicago, IL, c. 1947.

No Strings, 54th Street Theatre, New York City, 1952.

May, Italian-American Reconciliation, Gnu Theatre, Los Angeles, 1987.

Reflections (solo show), Los Angeles, 1990.

Singer and dancer in Calypso Carnival (revue), performing at various nightclubs, Chicago, IL, early 1950s. Also appeared as Hazel Sharp, Kicks and Company; in the title role, Carmen Jones, Chicago, IL; and in productions of The Blacks; Blues for Mr. Charlie; For My People; Horwitz and Mrs. Washington; The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.