Majel Barrett-Roddenberry 1932 – 2008
Sometimes, there are people, on this earth, that you think, ‘Nothing can touch them. They will always be here to entertain or to enlighten us.’
If only that were true.
Mr Wheaton shares a memory:
Since we got the news yesterday, a lot of people have asked me if I can tell a story as a way to remember her. I’ve dug around in the attic of my mind for hours, and the best I can do is: We always had fun when we were working on Next Generation, but when Majel was on the set, it was a party.
…a public memorial for Barrett-Roddenberry is planned for shortly after Christmas or in early next year, and that her family has asked that donations be made to the CARE Organization or Precious Paws in lieu of flowers. Condolences can be sent via e-mail to share@roddenberry.com. We at GeekDad extend our sincerest condolences to her son Rod and the rest of her family.
Later in 1964, Roddenberry cast her in a co-starring role in “The Cage,” the pilot for his science fiction series, Star Trek. She played ‘Number One,’ second in command on a fictitious starship. However, the character’s strength and authority in the Star Trek universe was unsettling to NBC and they ordered a second pilot made, without the woman, Number One.
When Roddenberry sold his second Star Trek pilot to the network, he remembered Majel’s work in “The Cage” and hired her as Nurse Christine Chapel. Instead of the dark-haired M. Leigh Hudec that they had disliked in the other pilot, she now used the name Majel Barrett and wore a blond wig as Chapel. Majel remains the only actor to have contributed to every facet of the Star Trek phenomenon.
(via wilw, wired, laweekly, roddenberry.com, popwatch blog)
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