21 December 2008

Majel Barrett RIP

Majel Barrett Roddenberry died from leukaemia on 18 December. She was 76.


Majel Barrett was a part of Star Trek right from the very beginning: As Majel Hudec, she was cast in the role of Number One for the pilot episode “The Cage”. Unfortunately, the pilot was a failure – TV executives were not just ready for was a female in such a lofty role even if the programme was set in a more egalitarian future. When Star Trek was eventually made was recast as Nurse Christine Chapel.


From the start, she also supplied the voice of the Enterprise's computer (and Voyager and DS9) in all the television series and in six of the 10 Star Trek movies. But perhaps her finest Star Trek role was as Lwaxana Troi, the feisty mother of Deanna Troi in The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.





Picard and Troi

She and Roddenberry married in Japan in 1969 and she stuck by him during the difficult years when it seemed that his creation was then doomed to fail. The television series started to go out in September 1966 and ran for three seasons before being cancelled because of low ratings. It was not until the early 70s that Star Trek gained its popularity. After Roddenberry’s death in 1991 Majel discovered an unused script he had drafted in the 1970s and launched herself on a new career as an executive producer of two series, Andromeda and Earth: Final Conflict.

Before she died she had completed voice over work for the new Star Trek film due out next year.

10 comments:

Dragonstar said...

She was wonderful as Lwaxana - so over the top, but kind with it.

Kay Dennison said...

I thought her great! Never knew she was married to Roddenberry though. My daughter, the extreme Trekkie, never told me that.

jams o donnell said...

Dragonstar, Kay I loved her OTT performances as Lwaxana and Picard's utter discomfort in her presence

beakerkin said...

Jams

I do not know if you realize who the
Captain was in the Pilot. The original Captain was Jeffrey Hunter.
Hunter is widely remembered as the co
star of John Wayne's best film the Searchers.

CherryPie said...

A lovely tribute.

Sarge Charlie said...

Very nice Jams, I loved the original TV Star Trek.


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Lulu LaBonne said...

OMG and I was wearing one of her outfits just last week. Very sorry to hear that she's gone

jams o donnell said...

I did know that Beakerkin. THe Searchers was Wayne's best film

Thanks Cherie, Thanks Sarge and a happy Xmas to you both

It's a sad loss Lulu

Anonymous said...

I watched Next Generation all through middle and high school. Mostly to see Wesley Krusher in those super-tight spandex jumpsuit uniforms.

jams o donnell said...

Haha EWBL, I was mor interested in Marina Sirtis!