The idea of male and female are universal constants.
Captain Kirk ‘Metamorphosis’
Captain James T. Kirk reminded us of something which too many science fiction fans may forget. Both writers and fans go on and on about Kirk VS Picard or battle strengths of various starships against one another or what alien race may be the most developed or realistic. Volumes are written about villains we love to hate or flashiest sci-fi gadgets.
What about the women of Star Trek?
Gene Roddenberry’s universe was progressive in many ways. It depicted the inclusion of a smoothly integrated multi-racial crew, the portrayal of television’s first interracial kiss between Kirk and Lt. Uhura and even influenced real life astronauts and NASA scientists. The role of women in the show was central from the first pilot and culminated in Star Trek: Voyager with the first woman to star as a Starship captain.
Nichelle Nichols – Lt. Uhura
Singer Nichelle Nichols played the first Enterprise’s communications officer. Complete with signature silver earpiece, Uhura opened hailing frequencies to aliens races friendly and dangerous. Before acting, Nichols sang with legendary Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. Oscar winning actress Whoopi Goldberg – another woman of Star Trek – has stated how much Nichols inspired her as a young girl to become a performer.
Perhaps the most important and historic thing about Nichelle Nichols is when she was thinking of quitting the show, Martin Luther King told her to keep her job at because it was important for Americans to see blacks as role models in media.
Kate Mulgrew – Captain Janeway
Before playing the first woman to be Starship captain as lead in a Star Trek series, Mulgrew played Mrs. Columbo in a spin-off of TV detective show Columbo. Mulgrew is also known for her stage work and many years on the popular ABC soap opera Ryan’s Hope as Mary Ryan.
Mulgrew inherited the role of Janeway from Canadian actress Genevieve Bujold who was initially cast, worked a few days on the Voyager set, but reportedly hated it and quit before a week was even up. You’d never know Mulgrew was playing second fiddle, as her strong performances continued throughout the showing evolving into making Janeway one of the more fascinating Star Trek characters.
Gates McFadden – Dr. Crusher
Versatile Gates McFadden worked for Jim Henson as a puppeteer, appeared in Henson’s The Muppets Take Manhattan, danced and studied mime in France under Marcel Marceau.
Dr. Crusher brought warmth to her medical professionalism on Star Trek: The Next Generation and was always looking out for her precious son Wesley (Wil Wheaton). Replaced by Diana Muldaur as Dr. Pulaski in the second season, it’s a credit to McFadden’s popularity that she was returned to the show in the third season and performed amiably for show’s run and into four feature films.
Majel Barrett played more characters than any other woman in Star Trek: Number One in the first pilot, The Cage, Nurse Christine Chapel in the original series, voiced the computer in most of the shows and was Lwaxana Troi, colorful mom to Enterprise D’s Counselor Troi.
Mrs. Roddenberry was alongside creator Gene Roddenberry throughout the evolution of it and now maintains Roddenberry Productions with son Eugene Roddenberry, helping to keep the core spirit of Star Trek alive.
Jeri Ryan – Seven of Nine
Jeri Ryan brought a new level of sex appeal to Star Trek.
In 1995 when it was announced Kate Mulgrew would be the first female lead in a Star Trek show, media focused on this fact, however then ratings dipped and producers bought in a sexy woman character in Borg 7of9, much of the attention turned to the new cast member. Whether you liked her or not, it’s inarguable Ryan’s sensual Borg babe made a lasting impression.
Nana Visitor’s Bajoran freedom fighter clashed with Captain Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but it’s why we loved her.
As Kira Nerys, Visitor expertly balanced loyalties to her people who had just been through a long fought war with prospect of new allies and Federation prosperity. When shape shifting Odo fell in love with her, she became romantic lynchpin in a complex saga of politics and war with the rampaging Dominion. At DS9’s finale, with Sisko gone, Kira assumes command of the space station
Marina Sirtis – Counselor Troi
Counselor Troi as therapist to Captain Picard’s crew, finally brought a face to Star Trek’s long delving into psychology.
Hauntingly beautiful Marina Sirtis created another half human character like Spock who although not torn between two worlds, became symbolic of how aliens integrate into the mostly human Federation. Comically butting heads with her overbearing, but lovable Ambassador Mom, Troi’s voice manner and cool empathic confidence always fascinated.
Michelle Forbes – Ensign Ro
Ensign Ro wasn’t the first woman fighter portrayed in Star Trek, but she may have been the best balanced.
Michelle Forbes created the character of Ensign Ro in an eponymous episode. Ro was a competent officer, but always tested the system with her challenge to authority. She helped form the Bajoran race through her portrayal and when producers created spin-off series Deep Space Nine, they offered Forbes a lead part. When she declined, Nana Visitor was given a new role in Major Kira.
Edith Keeler played such a pivotal role in Star Trek, if Kirk hadn’t let her die, all of the Federation nor Starfleet would have existed.
International favorite Joan Collins whose role as Alexis on nighttime soap opera Dynasty in the 1980’s would catapult her to even great fame played perhaps the most poignant and memorable guest character in all of the original series. Written by respected science fiction master Harlan Ellison, Keeler had to die in a car accident in depression era America to allow history to play out correctly. When a time traveling Dr. McCoy seeks to save her and is stopped by Kirk, we feel the pain on Kirk’s anguished face.
Alice Krige – The Borg Queen
The Borg Queen brings order to chaos to the most deadly Starfleet enemy.
South African actress Alice Krige famous for darkly, intriguing roles in Ghost Story and Stephen King’s SleepWalkers brought the monarch of the Borg to life in the movie Star Trek: First Contact. Before then, the Borg were always depicted as a vast, monolithic race with no leader or real voice. The Borg Queen appeared on Star Trek: Voyager several times in the persona of replacement actress Susannah Thompson, but then Krige reprised her role in Voyager’s final episode. The character is so popular that the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada features her in a 3D movie ride.
