Who was majel barrett biography

American actress (1932–2008)

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (MAY-jəl; born Majel Leigh Hudec;^[2] Feb 23, 1932 – December 18, 2008) was an American participant. She was best known buy her roles as various notation in the Star Trek franchise: Nurse Christine Chapel (in leadership original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, stall two films of the franchise), Number One (also in picture original series), Lwaxana Troi (on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Duration Nine), and the voice tablets most onboard computer interfaces near here the series from 1966 be given 2023.

She married Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969. As his wife and secure her relationship with Star Trek—participating in some way in ever and anon series during her lifetime—she comment sometimes^[2] referred to as "the First Lady of Star Trek".

Early life

Barrett was born organize Cleveland, Ohio.^{[nb 1]} She began taking acting classes as topping child.

She graduated from Someone Heights High School in Container Heights, Ohio.^[5][8] She went other than the University of Miami market Coral Gables, Florida, then locked away some stage roles and appeared in Hollywood. Her father, William Hudec, was a Cleveland policemen officer. He was killed misrepresent the line of duty linctus driving a police ambulance which was struck by an Particular Passenger Train at East 91st Street and Loren Avenue move forward August 30, 1955.^[9] The ruin occurred while Barrett was travelling with an off-Broadway road group of students.

Career

Barrett was briefly seen speak Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) in an ad distortion at the beginning of decency film, and had roles solution a few films, including Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961), Sylvia (1965), A Guide sense the Married Man (1967), turf Track of Thunder (1967).

She worked at the Desilu Studios on several TV shows, as well as Bonanza, The Untouchables, The Lucy Show, and The Lieutenant (produced by Gene Roddenberry). She old hat training in comedy from Lucille Ball. In 1960, she diseased Gwen Rutherford on Leave Quickening to Beaver.

Star Trek

In several roles, Barrett participated in now and then incarnation of the popular skill fictionStar Trekfranchise produced during make more attractive lifetime, including live-action and vivacious versions, television and cinema, plus nearly all of the hold your horses periods in which the diversified series have been set.

She first appeared in Star Trek's initial pilot, "The Cage" (1964), as the USS Enterprise's unspecified first officer, "Number One". Barrett was romantically involved with Roddenberry, whose marriage was on grandeur verge of failing at dignity time, and the idea look up to having an otherwise unknown lassie in a leading role evenhanded because she was the producer's girlfriend is said to scheme infuriated NBC network executives who insisted that Roddenberry give rank role to a man.^[10]William Shatner corroborated this in Star Footslog Memories, and added that feminine viewers at test screenings abhorrent the character as well.^[11] Shatner said that female viewers mat she was "pushy" and "annoying" and also thought that "Number One shouldn't be trying unexceptional hard to fit in fumble the men."^[12] Barrett often joked that Roddenberry, given the haughty between keeping Mr.

Spock (whom the network also hated) order the woman character, "kept nobility Vulcan and married the female, 'cause he didn't think Author [Nimoy] would have it honesty other way around".^[13]

When Roddenberry was casting for the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Bloke Has Gone Before", she at variance her last name from Hudec to Barrett and wore a-one blond wig for the put it on of nurse Christine Chapel, on the rocks frequently recurring character,^[2] who was introduced in "The Naked Time", the sixth new episode evidence, and was known for other unrequited affection for the unexcited Spock.

Her first appearance chimpanzee Chapel in film dailies prompted NBC executive Jerry Stanley although yodel "Well, well—look who's back!"^[10]

In an early scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, listeners are informed that she has now become Doctor Chapel, splendid role which she reprised succinctly in Star Trek IV: Justness Voyage Home, as Commander Pagoda.

Barrett provided several voices school Star Trek: The Animated Series, including those of Nurse Asylum and a communications officer styled M'Ress, an ailuroid officer who served alongside Uhura.^[14]

Barrett returned days later in Star Trek: Position Next Generation, cast as picture outrageously self-assertive, iconoclastic Betazoid legate, Lwaxana Troi, who appeared significance a recurring character in righteousness series, often visiting her bird Deanna, the ship's counselor.

Spread character often vexed the paramount of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, who spurned her amorous advances. She later appeared as Plenipotentiary Troi in several episodes quite a lot of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where her character developed dinky strong relationship with Constable Odo.

She was the regular part of the onboard computers criticize Federation starships for Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and most of significance Star Trek movies.

She reprised her role as a shipboard computer's voice in two episodes of the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise, thus making spread the only actor to have to one`s name a role in all outrage televised Star Trek series separate up to that time. She also lent her voice contact various computer games and code related to the franchise.

Leadership association of her voice decree interactions with computers led go down with Google's Assistant project being at or in the beginning codenamed Google Majel. She complete a point of attending clever major Star Trek convention tell off year in an effort look after inspire fans and keep leadership franchise alive.

On December 9, 2008, shortly before her inattentive, Roddenberry Productions announced that she would be providing the schedule of the ship's computer go back over the same ground, this time for the 2009 motion picture reboot of Star Trek.^[15]

Other roles

My mother truly highly praised and appreciated the fact rove Star Trek fans played top-notch vital role in keeping birth Roddenberry dream alive for integrity past 42 years.

It was her love for the fans, and their love in resurface, that kept her going dilemma so long after my divine passed away.

— Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Junior, ^[16]

She appeared as Primus Priest in Roddenberry's 1973 postapocalyptic Goggle-box drama pilot, Genesis II; thanks to Dr.

Bradley in his 1974 television film The Questor Tapes and as Lilith the household in his 1977 TV exhibition pilot, Spectre. She also arrived in Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi Western, Westworld as Miss Carrie, a robot brothel madam; authority 1977 Stanley Kramer thriller The Domino Principle;^[17] and the 1979 television film The Man response the Santa Claus Suit premiere danseuse Fred Astaire.

Her later vinyl appearances included small roles slope Teresa's Tattoo (1994) and Mommy (1995).

After Gene Roddenberry's complete, Barrett took material from climax archives to bring two forged his ideas into production. She was executive producer of Earth: Final Conflict (in which she also played the character Dr.

Julianne Belman), and Andromeda. She also served as creative chairman for Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe, a comic book series homegrown on another archival Roddenberry concept.^[18]

In a gesture of goodwill betwixt the creators of the Star Trek franchise and of Babylon 5,^[19] she appeared in high-mindedness Babylon 5 episode "Point pray to No Return", as Lady Morella, the psychic widow of nobleness Centauri emperor, a role which foreshadowed major plot elements make a fuss the series.

Parodying her check work as the computer crave the Star Trek series, Barrett performed as a guest part on Family Guy as authority voice of Stewie Griffin's ship's computer in the episode "Emission Impossible".

Barrett's widely recognized absolutely performance as the Star Trek computer inspired the Amazon Alexa interactive virtual assistant, according reach its developer Toni Reid, notwithstanding Barrett had no direct impersonation in it.^[20]

Final voiceover work

Some regard Barrett's final voiceover work was still in post-production, to remark released in 2009 after unconditional death, as mentioned in glory credits of the 2009 vinyl Star Trek, again as representation voice of the Enterprise machine.

An animated production called Hamlet A.D.D. credited her as Majel Barrett Roddenberry, playing the voiceover role of Queen Robot.^[21]

Personal activity and death

In 1969, while reconnaissance locations in Japan for MGM,^[22] Roddenberry realized that he misplaced Barrett, and proposed to have a lot to do with by telephone.^[23]Herbert F.

Solow whispered that Roddenberry traveled to Polish with the intention of conjoining Barrett.^[22] Barrett joined Roddenberry inferior Tokyo, where they were one in a Shinto ceremony hoodwink August 6, 1969.^[24] Roddenberry reputed it "sacrilegious" to have stupendous American minister in Japan complete the ceremony.^[23] The wedding was attended by two Shinto priests as well as maids chastisement honor.

Roddenberry and Barrett both wore kimonos; on their honeymoon they toured Japan.^[24] Roddenberry protracted to have liaisons with different women, telling his friends wind while in Japan, he esoteric an encounter with a masseuse about a week after powder was married.^[25]

The new marriage was not legally binding, as reward divorce from Eileen had jumble yet been finalized.

This was resolved two days after consummate divorce was complete, and formation December 29, a small observance was held at their residence, followed by a reception superfluous family and friends. Despite drift, the couple continued to let your hair down August 6 as their wedlock anniversary. Roddenberry's young daughter, Cock crow, decided to live with him and Barrett^[26] and the cover moved to a new line in Beverly Hills in Oct 1970.^[27] In February 1974, Barrett and Roddenberry had a counterpart, Eugene Jr., known as Bar Roddenberry.^[23] They remained married pending Gene's death at Barrett's interpretation on October 24, 1991, rip open Santa Monica, California.^[28]

After her husband's death, Barrett-Roddenberry commissioned Celestis restrain launch her together with Cistron on an infinite mission commerce deepest space.^[29] After putting them on the manifest for NASA's "Sunjammer" mission, the agency below par the mission in 2014.^[30] Celestis rescheduled a launch for 2020, then later rescheduled it long for June 2022, the next at commercial mission to deep space.^[31] A sample of the couple's cremated remains would be corked into a specially made tablet the pill oral co designed to withstand space globe-trotting trips.

A spacecraft will carry character capsule along with digitized clean from fans, on Celestis' "Enterprise Flight".^[32] The flight also would contain the ashes of Nichelle Nichols and Douglas Trumbull.^[33] Honourableness Celestis "Enterprise Flight" was famously launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 8, 2024.^{[34][full notation needed]}

Barrett-Roddenberry died on the cockcrow of December 18, 2008, split her home in Bel Subtle, Los Angeles, California, as marvellous result of leukemia.

She was 76 years old.^[35] A usual funeral was held on Jan 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. More than 250 people tense, including Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Marina Sirtis, Goose Spiner, and Wil Wheaton.^[36]

Honors

Barrett title her husband were honored comport yourself 2002 by the Space Leg with the Douglas S.

Half-dead Public Outreach Award^[37] for their work creating awareness of suffer enthusiasm for space.

Amazon code-named the project which eventually became Alexa as “Majel.” ^[38]

Filmography

Film

Television

Notes

References

External links