RIP Majel Barrett 1932-2008
The CBC reports on the death of the most ubiquitous character in the Star Trek series:
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s widow and a fixture of nearly every incarnation of the space travel franchise, died on Thursday. She was 76.
Roddenberry, who suffered from leukemia, died at home in Bel Air, Calif., according to a spokesperson.
She was Nurse Chapel in the original series, Lwaxana Troi in the Next Generation, and voice of the computer in all of the programs.
11 comments
Awwww… That’s sad. 🙁 I think she was a good but underrated actress. I did enjoy her as Lwaxana Troi! 😀
I’d heard that she’d fought leukemia long and hard. A very tough woman.
Rest, in Peace.
She did a lot of voice work, having to be the computer, but they never gave her much of an opportunity to stretch out until the Next Generation. She certainly protected Gene’s concept.
I went to a lecture by Roddennerry eons ago, which ended with showng the hilarious Blooper films from the original series. Nurse Chapel played a prominent and hysterical role. A very funny & classy lady.
Over the years, at various events, I got the definite feeling that Lwaxana Troi was a more natural role for her, i.e. she was an independent fun-loving person.
This makes me very sad (and I’m already having a sad day).
I always enjoyed her performances; she will be missed.
I always felt she was probably smarter than McCoy, not that that is a major accomplishment.
I hadn’t heard the sad news. I loved her as Lwaxana Troi and I wonder what would have happened if she had been allowed to reprise teh number one role from teh pilot. We will at least get to hear her one last time in the new Star Trek film.
She was definitely smarter and heck of a better actor than *Kirk*! What a ham. 😉 😀
yeah… I’ll miss her. *sigh*
Most of the scenery was a better actor than William Shatner.
She was a regular at a lot of conventions, and many of them were in Southern California, so I saw her a couple of times in person, which was a bit of shock the first time, because she was much better looking in person than you would guess from the original series, and the “sparkle” of the Lwaxana Troi character was her.
LOL @ Shatner! 😀 Couldn’t agree more! When I was a kid, I loves the original ST. As an adult, I felt mostly embarrassed I had such bad taste as a kid! *shrug*Next Gen was a LOT better! 🙂
Ahhh… Lucky you meeting her! She’s one of those few people I wished I’d had a chance to meet. 🙂 I believe you about her personality being similar to her Troi character. 🙂 To play Troi as well as Majel did she would have had to feel comfortable and familiar in the role. 🙂 She would have been a lot of fun to hang with I’m guessing! 😀
The good ones always go too soon. *sigh*
RIP Majel… You did good. 🙂
Well, it’s not like I knew her, but to be as at ease at a convention with people who make you realize why “fan” is a short form of “fanatic” requires a certain personality, and a lot of really good actors should never go out in public, because they don’t really like people all that much.