4 ‘Star Trek’ Legends Who’ve Sadly Passed Away

The Star Trek franchise may not ever die, but some of the legends have.

There have been a number of stars and creatives from the beloved sci-fi phenomenon who have passed away.

Luckily, thanks to streaming, their work lives on, and fans old and new will be able to discover them and rediscover them. They are part of why the Star Trek franchise is so beloved, and it’s hard to imagine the original series and films without them. Take a look at four Star Trek legends who are sadly no longer with us.

Leonard Nimoy

One of the biggest deaths, if not the biggest death, to come out of Star Trek was Leonard Nimoy. He originated Spock in the original Star Trek series in 1966, and reprised the role in numerous projects, including Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Nimoy passed away at 83 in February 2015 after a long case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an ongoing lung condition caused by damage to the lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic. An asteroid was named 4864 Nimoy in his honor.

Nichelle Nichols

Another major death was Nichelle Nichols, known as Uhura in the original Star Trek and its film sequels. Her portrayal of the communications officer was groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television. Uhura was one of the first Black characters to be portrayed in a non-menial role on an American television series.

At 89, Nichols died of heart failure in July 2022. Her ashes were launched into deep space along with those of fellow Star Trek actress Majel Barrett, who died in 2008, and Douglas Trumbull, who did special effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and died in 2022.

Majel Barrett

Barrett had various roles across the Star Trek franchise, including Nurse Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek series, the animated series, and two films, Number One in the original series, Lwaxana Tori in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the voice of most of the onboard computer interfaces between 1966 and 2008.

Barrett, who was married to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, died in December 2008 as a result of leukemia at 76 years old. As previously mentioned, her ashes were launched into deep space in 2022 with Nichols and Trumbull.

DeForest Kelley

DeForest Kelley portrayed Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy of the USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek series and the sequel films. He also reprised the role for Star Trek: The Animated Series and for an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, along with two video games.

Kelley was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1997 and died in June 1999 at age 79.