One Star Trek Actor Played Three Characters in the Original Series (After She Was Cut From The Pilot)

by

As a huge movie fan, I’ve always felt the real heart of Star Trek lies with the bridge crew. It’s the captain and their first officer who truly drive the stories – they’re the ones making the tough calls about risky missions and dealing with all sorts of galactic threats. The Original Series really nailed this, giving all the best scenes to Kirk and Spock. And honestly, it’s hard to fault them for focusing on those two; Shatner and Nimoy were just incredible. But when you really think about it, their adventures, while epic, aren’t even the most compelling ones in the whole universe.

Everyone knows it wasn’t easy to get Star Trek made. Gene Roddenberry presented a pilot episode to NBC, confident he had created something special. However, network executives didn’t share his vision and insisted on major changes, even asking him to remove a character he liked. Though he compromised, Roddenberry managed to keep a couple of roles open for the actor who had originally been cut.

Star Trek: The Original Series Almost Had a Different Number One

When Gene Roddenberry was casting the original Star Trek pilot, “The Cage,” he preferred actors he’d worked with before. He contacted Leonard Nimoy, whom he knew from the show The Lieutenant, and cast him as Spock—a character originally envisioned with red skin and pointed ears, giving him a demonic appearance. Majel Barrett, also a former cast member of The Lieutenant, was chosen to play Number One, Captain Pike’s second-in-command. However, NBC disliked both Spock and Number One after seeing the pilot and asked Roddenberry to remove them. While Roddenberry successfully argued to keep Spock after a makeover, Number One was cut, and Barrett lost the role.

After Star Trek became established, Roddenberry cleverly brought Majel Barrett back into the show, this time as Nurse Christine Chapel on the USS Enterprise. Though NBC objected, they couldn’t prevent it. Roddenberry then had Barrett voice the Enterprise‘s computer in multiple episodes and also utilize her talents in Star Trek: The Animated Series. By the end of the original series, Barrett had become a key part of Star Trek, and she continued to appear in later installments.

Majel Barrett Continues to Be A Major Part of Star Trek

Even though the original Star Trek series was cancelled, the show remained popular with fans. Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek: The Next Generation in the 1980s, following a new crew working to keep the peace. Since the Enterprise was central to the series, Roddenberry’s wife, Barrett, reprised her role as the voice of the ship’s computer. However, Barrett didn’t want to spend all her time recording, so she also took on the role of Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Counselor Deanna Troi and a character who was quite fond of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Although Picard didn’t return her affection, Lwaxana appeared in multiple episodes of The Next Generation and even Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

It’s sad that Nichelle Nichols wasn’t able to witness the recent revival of Star Trek; she passed away in 2008. Fortunately, her voice lives on in J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek movie and in Star Trek: Picard through previously recorded footage. The character of Christine Chapel is also still featured in the spin-off series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, thanks to actress Jess Bush. This is a remarkable legacy, especially considering NBC initially wasn’t interested in working with Nichols. It proves that facing rejection doesn’t mean the end, and that dedication and persistence ultimately pay off.

As a huge Star Trek fan, I’m always curious to hear what everyone thinks! I’m wondering, which character played by the incredible Majel Barrett do you love the most? Let me know in the comments, and let’s chat about it over on the ComicBook Forum – come join the discussion!

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/list/6-star-trek-actors-who-openly-want-to-return-for-the-legacy-spinoff/embed/#

Read More

2025-12-07 01:43