So here’s a Star Trek memory…
50th anniversary of the original Trek and I just found the transcript of an interview I did a few years ago with Nichelle Nichols (aka Uhura). I asked for her fave Star Trek memory and she told me the true story of TV’s first interracial kiss…
Nichols: I think my favorite is the famous interracial kiss, which was the first interracial kiss on television and it was supposed to be with Nimoy’s character.
Mark Leiren-Young: It was?
Nichelle Nichols: The first interracial kiss on TV. It was supposed to be with him. And Bill Shatner saw what was going on and he said, “Woah, woah, woah. If anybody’s gonna get to kiss Lieutenant Uhura is gonna be me”. (Laughs.) And he had the whole thing changed. So the first interracial kiss was with Lieutenant Uhura and Captain Kirk.
Mark Leiren-Young: So did you ever get to rehearse with Nimoy? Like, was there a version where you kissed him or that never happened?
Nichelle Nichols: Oh sure! Oh sure, sure it did. That’s when he found out about it Bill says, “If she’s gonna kiss anybody it’s gonna be me”. And so they changed it to Captain Kirk and Uhura. (Laughs).
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