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Majel Barrett Roddenberry
(1932-2008)
Majel Barrett Roddenberry
as Nurse Christine Chapel in The Original Star Trek
Series
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, "Star Trek" creator Gene
Roddenberry's widow who nurtured the legacy of the
seminal science fiction TV series after his death, has
died. She was 76. Roddenberry died of leukemia Thursday
morning at her home in Bel-Air, surrounded by her family
friends and by her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr.
Roddenberry was involved in the "Star Trek" universe for
more than four decades as either an on-screen character,
or as the voice of the Enterprise computer in later
shows. Just two weeks prior to her death, she completed
the voice recordings in the role of the ship's computer
for the J.J. Abrams movie "Star Trek," due out on May 8,
2009 Majel Roddenberry's first Star Trek appearance was
in the original show's initial pilot, "The
Cage", as the USS Enterprise's unnamed first
officer, known only as "Number One". Barrett was at the
time romantically involved with Star Trek creator Gene
Roddenberry, and that fact, and her lack of a major
acting resume, caused the parent network, NBC, to insist
that Roddenberry give the executive officer role to a
male actor. In the book, Star Trek Memories,,
William Shatner corroborated this, but he added that
female viewers at test screenings disliked Majel
Roddenberry's character as well. Shatner noted that
female viewers felt she was "pushy" and "annoying" and
also thought that "Number One shouldn't be trying so hard
to fit in with the men." Barrett often joked that
Roddenberry, given the choice between keeping Mr. Spock ,
or the woman character, "kept the Vulcan and married the
woman, 'cause he didn't think Leonard [Nimoy]
would have it the other way around." She played the
dark-haired Number One in the original pilot but
metamorphosed into the blond, miniskirted Nurse Christine
Chapel in the original 1966-69 show. She had smaller
roles in all five of its television successors and many
of the "Star Trek" movie incarnations, although she had
little involvement in the productions. Majel Barrett's
role in later episodes of the The Original Series (TOS)
in the Star Trek universe, as Nurse Christine Chapel, a
frequently recurring character, who served as Dr. McCoy's
nurse in sickbay and for her unrequited desire for the
emotion-controlled Mr. Spock. In an early scene in
Star Trek: The Motion Picture, viewers are
informed that she has now become Doctor Chapel, a role
which she reprised briefly in Star Trek IV: The
Voyage Home. Barrett provided several voices for
various Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes,
including those of Nurse Chapel and the communications
officer M'Ress, the feline officer who served alongside
Lt. Uhura. She would return years later in Star Trek:
The Next Generation, cast as the Betazoid Ambassador
Lwaxana Troi, who appeared as a recurring character in
the series as the mother of Ship's Counselor Deanna Troi.
Barrett also appeared as Ambassador Troi in several
episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. An
ongoing and popular role for her was as the regular voice
of the onboard computers of Federation starships for
Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek:
The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and most of the
Star Trek movies. She reprised her role as a shipboard
computer's voice in the two episodes of the prequel
series Star Trek: Enterprise. Majel Barrett
Roddenberry also served as the voice for various computer
games and software related to the Star Trek franchise.
Majel Roddenberry also attended at least one major Star
Trek convention each year in an effort to inspire Star
Trek fans and help keep the franchise active.
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Born: Majel Leigh Hudec
Date and Place of Birth:
February: 23, 1932, in Cleveland, Ohio
Date and Location of Death:
December 18, 2008 (aged 76), in Bel Air,
California,
Other name (s): M. Leigh Hudec,
Majel Barrett
Occupation: TV, film, and voice
actress
Spouse: Gene Roddenberry
(1969–1991)
Education: University of
Miami
Links:
Majel
Roddenberry, widow of 'Trek' creator,
dies--Associated Press, Dec. 18, 2006
Majel
Barrett Roddenberry Bio--Memory Alpha
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