Star Trek might have come out over fifty years ago, but with the many movies and spin-offs, the franchise is still relevant, and its impact on popular culture cannot be ignored. The original series came out in 1966 and lasted for three seasons, winning several accolades and getting nominated to many important awards.
Sadly, a lot of the people that made the success of the original series possible are no longer on this Earth. Most of them led remarkable lives, and their characters and their incredible talent will forever be in the hearts and minds of all the Star Trek fans. However, four of those outstanding actors are still with us, keeping the series' legacy alive.
7 William Shatner
William Shatner is most well-known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series. He was one of the few members of the cast who already had been building a successful career as an actor before Star Trek blew up. He worked in a few important films in the fifties, did some theatre as a student, and even participated in a Broadway production.
6 Shatner Continues To Be Successful
After the staggering success of the series, he continued to prove his talent with many other amazing projects, such as the 1974 movie Big Bad Mama and the series Barbary Coast. He also had a career as a writer and producer, so he's undoubtedly a man of many talents. Earlier this year, this incredible icon celebrated his 90th birthday. No matter how much time passes, fans will always remember him fondly as Captain Kirk.
5 Nichelle Nichols
Nyota Uhura was a translator and communications officer in Star Trek, portrayed by the great Nichelle Nichols, and she was quite a groundbreaking character in the 1960s since she was one of the first black women with lead roles in American TV. Nichelle was always aware of the impact her participation in Star Trek made, so she had made good use of her influence.
4 Nichols Fought To Make NASA More Inclusive Of Minorities
For many years, she volunteered at NASA to help the agency become more inclusive of minorities.
"There were no women, and there were no minorities in the space program -- and that's supposed to represent the whole country?" Nichelle said about it. "Not in this day and age. We just absolutely cannot have that. I can't be a part of that." Her strategy to change that was foolproof. "I am going to bring you so many qualified women and minority astronaut applicants for this position that if you don't choose one ... everybody in the newspapers across the country will know about it. Science is not a boy's game, it's not a girl's game. It's everyone's game. It's about where we are and where we're going."
In 1994, she released her autobiography, Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories, where she shared her experiences on the show and stories about her career in general.
3 George Takei
Most people will remember George Takei for his unforgettable portrayal of Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the USS Enterprise. He started his career in the '50s as a voiceover actor, and some of his credits include Rodan and Godzilla Raids Again, but Star Trek was what made him into the superstar that he is right now. While acting was always a passion of his, he prefers using his platform for his activism. In the early 2000s, he came out as gay, and has since become a spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community. He wishes he could have spoken out sooner, especially having experienced the Stonewall riots.
2 Takei Has Also Made A Huge Impact On Hollywood
"I saw these young men and women campaigning for what was called gay liberation, and giving up everything — their jobs, careers and families — to campaign for equality for us. It was very difficult for me," he shared. "Here I was campaigning for civil rights or the peace movement during the Vietnam War, but I was silent on the one issue that was organic to me, that was very personal. During that period I was weighted down by that sense of guilt and not participating."
Of course, his wishes to have done more are understandable, but it was a very different time, and coming out was a big risk for him at the time. Even so, he has managed to make a difference, and his legacy will include so much more than just his accomplishments as an actor.
1 Walter Koenig
Walter Koenig rose to fame with his role as Pavel Chekov, but he had known for a long time that he was going to be a movie star. Even though it wasn't his initial career choice. He attended UCLA and graduated with a degree in Psychology, but he soon realized that wasn't what he wanted to do.
"I did finish with a degree in psychology at UCLA and took one drama course at the school simply as a diversion,” Walter explained. “As it turned out, I had a professor who was very enthusiastic about what he thought I might be able to contribute as an actor. It was really with his support and enthusiasm that … I went back to drama school as opposed to going to grad school, and when I did that, I sort of sealed my fate. I didn’t know that would be the case, but being in a school which was exclusively devoted to the arts was the best time I’ve ever had in an academic environment. Once I started on that path it was pretty much determined, sink or swim, that’s what was going to happen in my life."
After Star Trek, he appeared in the series Babylon 5, did some theater work, and even went back to college, but this time as a professor, to teach acting and directing.