In loving memory of Majel Barrett-Roddenberry
I grew up loving Star Trek reruns and later on was a big fan of the Next Generation (of all the series that is the only one that I’ve likely seen as a complete run). So I was saddened to hear of that Majel Barrett Roddenberry (widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry) passed away on December 18th 2008 at the age of 76 as a result of complications from leukemia. She was surrounded by family and friends at her home in Bel-Air, Los Angeles, California.
Majel Barret Roddenberry was the First Lady of Star Trek and her absence will be deeply felt by fans as we enjoy future productions based upon the creative legacy she and her husband left behind.
In 1964, Roddenberry cast M. Leigh Hudec in a co-starring role in “The Cage,” the pilot for his science fiction series, Star Trek. She played ‘Number One,’ second in command on a fictitious starship. However, the character’s strength and authority in the Star Trek universe was unsettling to NBC and they ordered a second pilot made, without the woman, Number One.
When Roddenberry sold his second Star Trek pilot to the network, he remembered Majel’s work in “The Cage” and hired her as Nurse Christine Chapel. Instead of the dark-haired M. Leigh Hudec that they had disliked in the other pilot, she now used the name Majel Barrett and wore a blond wig as Chapel. Majel remains the only actor to have contributed to every facet of the Star Trek phenomenon.
It was announced on December 9th that Majel was to voice the computer of the starship Enterprise for the upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie as she had previously in four Star Trek television series and three films.
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via roddenberry and trekcore
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