Nichelle Nichols – Lieutenant Uhura

This is the woman that inspired Whoopi Goldberg to become a Star Trek fan, and she was a pretty powerful actress in her day. The role was groundbreaking for African Americans and gave Nichols iconic status. She even worked promoting NASA programs among women and ethnic minorities.

As of 2022, she is one of only four surviving cast members of the original show, alongside William Shatner, George Takei, and Walter Koenig. She also starred in six of the spinoff films and voiced her character again in the animated series “Star Trek: Prodigy.”