I'm devastated. I just learned that Majel Barrett Roddenberry died early Thursday morning.
What a super, super lady. Many years ago, I met her at a convention, and, after signing a picture for me, she was kind enough to give me a kiss. I'm so grateful to have met her even for a moment. She was all class.
She appeared, in one form or another, in every Star Trek TV series to date. She played "Number One," the Enterprise's first officer, in the 1964 pilot episode, "The Cage." Later, when Star Trek became a TV series, she was "Nurse Christine Chapel," as well as the "Computer Voice" of the Enterprise.
Her greatest appearance as Chapel was in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" Majel held her own with William Shatner in a story about Chapel finding her long-lost fiance in space ... and then losing him again. Star Trek's producers foolishly wasted her talent thereafter, but Majel kept up her appearances as the Enterprise's favorite head nurse (and soon-to-be doctor).
She reprised her (vocal) role as Chapel (and others) in the Star Trek animated series in the early 1970s. When live-action Star Trek returned in movie form, she reappeared as Chapel in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Star Trek was reborn on TV in 1987 as The Next Generation (TNG), and she resumed her rightful place as the Enterprise's "Computer Voice" for most of the series and all four subsequent movies. Her vocal role was soon expanded to include all Federation Starfleet computers in the TV spinoff series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) and Star Trek: Voyager. Her voice was heard for the last time on television in the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise, as the computer aboard the U.S.S. Defiant in "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II."
Perhaps her greatest Star Trek contribution was to TNG (and once in DS9) as "Lwaxana Troi," mother of Counselor Deanna Troi. The character was described as the "Auntie Mame of the galaxy," and, boy oh boy, did she chew some serious scenery! She again proved to Star Trek's producers that she had the chops - and then some - to virtually steal the show in each of her appearances as the zany and hysterical Mrs. Troi.
Her greatest showing was in the episode "Half a Life," a surprisingly dramatic turn in which Lwaxana fell deeply in love with an alien scientist, but was forced to let him go because the laws of his planet required him to die at age 60. It was an absolutely heartbreaking episode that the multitalented Majel drove home with her acting expertise.
Word has it that Majel may have completed her "Enterprise Computer Voice" recordings one last time, for J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie in May 2009. Here's hoping ...
Majel is now reunited with her beloved husband, Gene Roddenberry, in the heavens. My sincerest condolances go out to "Rod," Jr., who survives them both.
We've lost the matriarch of Star Trek here on Earth, but her voice and her visage will live on forever in our hearts, minds ... and video collections.
Rest in peace, Majel, and thanks for everything. I love you.
What a super, super lady. Many years ago, I met her at a convention, and, after signing a picture for me, she was kind enough to give me a kiss. I'm so grateful to have met her even for a moment. She was all class.
She appeared, in one form or another, in every Star Trek TV series to date. She played "Number One," the Enterprise's first officer, in the 1964 pilot episode, "The Cage." Later, when Star Trek became a TV series, she was "Nurse Christine Chapel," as well as the "Computer Voice" of the Enterprise.
Her greatest appearance as Chapel was in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" Majel held her own with William Shatner in a story about Chapel finding her long-lost fiance in space ... and then losing him again. Star Trek's producers foolishly wasted her talent thereafter, but Majel kept up her appearances as the Enterprise's favorite head nurse (and soon-to-be doctor).
She reprised her (vocal) role as Chapel (and others) in the Star Trek animated series in the early 1970s. When live-action Star Trek returned in movie form, she reappeared as Chapel in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Star Trek was reborn on TV in 1987 as The Next Generation (TNG), and she resumed her rightful place as the Enterprise's "Computer Voice" for most of the series and all four subsequent movies. Her vocal role was soon expanded to include all Federation Starfleet computers in the TV spinoff series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) and Star Trek: Voyager. Her voice was heard for the last time on television in the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise, as the computer aboard the U.S.S. Defiant in "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II."
Perhaps her greatest Star Trek contribution was to TNG (and once in DS9) as "Lwaxana Troi," mother of Counselor Deanna Troi. The character was described as the "Auntie Mame of the galaxy," and, boy oh boy, did she chew some serious scenery! She again proved to Star Trek's producers that she had the chops - and then some - to virtually steal the show in each of her appearances as the zany and hysterical Mrs. Troi.
Her greatest showing was in the episode "Half a Life," a surprisingly dramatic turn in which Lwaxana fell deeply in love with an alien scientist, but was forced to let him go because the laws of his planet required him to die at age 60. It was an absolutely heartbreaking episode that the multitalented Majel drove home with her acting expertise.
Word has it that Majel may have completed her "Enterprise Computer Voice" recordings one last time, for J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie in May 2009. Here's hoping ...
Majel is now reunited with her beloved husband, Gene Roddenberry, in the heavens. My sincerest condolances go out to "Rod," Jr., who survives them both.
We've lost the matriarch of Star Trek here on Earth, but her voice and her visage will live on forever in our hearts, minds ... and video collections.
Rest in peace, Majel, and thanks for everything. I love you.
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