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Majel Barrett

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Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (/ˈmeɪdʒəl/ MAY-jəl; born Majel Leigh Hudec;[2] February 23, 1932 – December 18, 2008) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as various characters in the Star Trek franchise: Nurse Christine Chapel (in the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and two films of the franchise), Number One (also in the original series), Lwaxana Troi (on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), and the voice of most onboard computer interfaces throughout the series from 1966 to 2023. She married Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969. As his wife and given her relationship with Star Trek—participating in some way in every series during her lifetime—she is sometimes[2] referred to as "the First Lady of Star Trek".

Majel Barrett
Barrett in 2006
Born
Majel Leigh Hudec

(1932-02-23)February 23, 1932
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.[nb 1]
DiedDecember 18, 2008(2008-12-18) (aged 76)
Bel Air, California, U.S.
Other namesM. Leigh Hudec
Alma materUniversity of Miami
OccupationActress
Years active1957–2008
Notable credit(s)Christine Chapel, Lwaxana Troi, and voice of ship's computer in the Star Trek franchise
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1969; died 1991)​
ChildrenRod Roddenberry
Signature

Early life

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Barrett was born in Cleveland, Ohio.[nb 1] She began taking acting classes as a child. She graduated from Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights which is part of Cleveland in 1950.[5][8] She went to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, then had some stage roles and arrived in Hollywood. Her father, William Hudec, was a Cleveland police officer. He was killed in the line of duty while driving a police ambulance which was struck by an Erie Passenger Train at East 91st Street and Loren Avenue on August 30, 1955.[9] The tragedy occurred while Barrett was touring with an off-Broadway road company.

Career

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Barrett was briefly seen in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957) in an ad parody at the beginning of the film, and had roles in a few films, including Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961), Sylvia (1965), A Guide for the Married Man (1967), and Track of Thunder (1967). She worked at the Desilu Studios on several TV shows, including Bonanza, The Untouchables, The Lucy Show, and The Lieutenant (produced by Gene Roddenberry). She received training in comedy from Lucille Ball. In 1960, she played Gwen Rutherford on Leave It to Beaver.

Star Trek

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In various roles, Barrett participated in every incarnation of the popular science fiction Star Trek franchise produced during her lifetime, including live-action and animated versions, television and cinema, and nearly all of the time periods in which the various series have been set.

She first appeared in Star Trek's initial pilot, "The Cage" (1964), as the USS Enterprise's unnamed first officer, "Number One". Barrett was romantically involved with Roddenberry, whose marriage was on the verge of failing at the time, and the idea of having an otherwise unknown woman in a leading role just because she was the producer's girlfriend is said to have infuriated NBC network executives who insisted that Roddenberry give the role to a man.[10] William Shatner corroborated this in Star Trek Memories, and added that female viewers at test screenings hated the character as well.[11] Shatner said that female viewers felt she was "pushy" and "annoying" and also thought that "Number One shouldn't be trying so hard to fit in with the men."[12] Barrett often joked that Roddenberry, given the choice between keeping Mr. Spock (whom the network also hated) or the woman character, "kept the Vulcan and married the woman, 'cause he didn't think Leonard [Nimoy] would have it the other way around".[13]

When Roddenberry was casting for the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", she changed her last name from Hudec to Barrett and wore a blond wig for the role of nurse Christine Chapel, a frequently recurring character,[2] who was introduced in "The Naked Time", the sixth new episode recorded, and was known for her unrequited affection for the dispassionate Spock. Her first appearance as Chapel in film dailies prompted NBC executive Jerry Stanley to yodel "Well, well—look who's back!"[10]

In an early scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, viewers are informed that she has now become Doctor Chapel, a role which she reprised briefly in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, as Commander Chapel. Barrett provided several voices for Star Trek: The Animated Series, including those of Nurse Chapel and a communications officer named M'Ress, an ailuroid officer who served alongside Uhura.[14]

Barrett returned years later in Star Trek: The Next Generation, cast as the outrageously self-assertive, iconoclastic Betazoid ambassador, Lwaxana Troi, who appeared as a recurring character in the series, often visiting her daughter Deanna, the ship's counselor. Her character often vexed the captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, who spurned her amorous advances. She later appeared as Ambassador Troi in several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where her character developed a strong relationship with Constable Odo.

She was the regular voice of the onboard computers of Federation starships for Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and most of the 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 her the only actor to have a role in all six televised Star Trek series produced up to that time. She also lent her voice to various computer games and software related to the franchise. The association of her voice with interactions with computers led to Google's Assistant project being initially codenamed Google Majel. She made a point of attending a major Star Trek convention each year in an effort to inspire fans and keep the franchise alive.

On December 9, 2008, shortly before her death, Roddenberry Productions announced that she would be providing the voice of the ship's computer again, this time for the 2009 motion picture reboot of Star Trek.[15]

Other roles

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My mother truly acknowledged and appreciated the fact that Star Trek fans played a vital role in keeping the Roddenberry dream alive for the past 42 years. It was her love for the fans, and their love in return, that kept her going for so long after my father passed away.

— Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr., [16]

She appeared as Primus Dominic in Roddenberry's 1973 postapocalyptic TV drama pilot, Genesis II; as Dr. Bradley in his 1974 television film The Questor Tapes and as Lilith the housekeeper in his 1977 TV drama pilot, Spectre. She also appeared in Michael Crichton's 1973 sci-fi Western, Westworld as Miss Carrie, a robot brothel madam; the 1977 Stanley Kramer thriller The Domino Principle;[17] and the 1979 television film The Man in the Santa Claus Suit starring Fred Astaire. Her later film appearances included small roles in Teresa's Tattoo (1994) and Mommy (1995).

After Gene Roddenberry's death, Barrett took material from his archives to bring two of 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 director for Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe, a comic book series based on another archival Roddenberry concept.[18]

In a gesture of goodwill between the creators of the Star Trek franchise and of Babylon 5,[19] she appeared in the Babylon 5 episode "Point of No Return", as Lady Morella, the psychic widow of the Centauri emperor, a role which foreshadowed major plot elements in the series. Parodying her voice work as the computer for the Star Trek series, Barrett performed as a guest voice on Family Guy as the voice of Stewie Griffin's ship's computer in the episode "Emission Impossible".

Barrett's widely recognized voice performance as the Star Trek computer inspired the Amazon Alexa interactive virtual assistant, according to its developer Toni Reid, although Barrett had no direct role in it.[20]

Final voiceover work

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Some of Barrett's final voiceover work was still in post-production, to be released in 2009 after her death, as mentioned in the credits of the 2009 film Star Trek, again as the voice of the Enterprise computer. An animated production called Hamlet A.D.D. credited her as Majel Barrett Roddenberry, playing the voiceover role of Queen Robot.[21]

Personal life and death

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Barrett and son Rod in Las Vegas, August 2008

In 1969, while scouting locations in Japan for MGM,[22] Roddenberry realized that he missed Barrett, and proposed to her by telephone.[23] Herbert F. Solow said that Roddenberry traveled to Japan with the intention of marrying Barrett.[22] Barrett joined Roddenberry in Tokyo, where they were married in a Shinto ceremony on August 6, 1969.[24] Roddenberry considered it "sacrilegious" to have an American minister in Japan perform the ceremony.[23] The wedding was attended by two Shinto priests as well as maids of honor. Roddenberry and Barrett both wore kimonos; on their honeymoon they toured Japan.[24] Roddenberry continued to have liaisons with other women, telling his friends that while in Japan, he had an encounter with a masseuse about a week after he was married.[25]

The new marriage was not legally binding, as his divorce from Eileen had not yet been finalized. This was resolved two days after his divorce was complete, and on December 29, a small ceremony was held at their home, followed by a reception for family and friends. Despite that, the couple continued to celebrate August 6 as their wedding anniversary. Roddenberry's young daughter, Dawn, decided to live with him and Barrett[26] and the family moved to a new house in Beverly Hills in October 1970.[27] In February 1974, Barrett and Roddenberry had a son, Eugene Jr., known as Rod Roddenberry.[23] They remained married until Gene's death at Barrett's side on October 24, 1991, in Santa Monica, California.[28]

After her husband's death, Barrett-Roddenberry commissioned Celestis to launch her together with Gene on an infinite mission to deepest space.[29] After putting them on the manifest for NASA's "Sunjammer" mission, the agency cancelled the mission in 2014.[30] Celestis rescheduled a launch for 2020, then later rescheduled it for June 2022, the next available commercial mission to deep space.[31] A sample of the couple's cremated remains would be sealed into a specially made capsule designed to withstand space travel. A spacecraft will carry the capsule along with digitized tributes from fans, on Celestis' "Enterprise Flight".[32] The flight also would contain the ashes of Nichelle Nichols and Douglas Trumbull.[33] The Celestis "Enterprise Flight" was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 8, 2024.[34][full citation needed]

Barrett-Roddenberry died on the morning of December 18, 2008, at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, as a result of leukemia. She was 76 years old.[35] A public funeral was held on January 4, 2009, in Los Angeles. More than 250 people attended, including Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Wil Wheaton.[36]

Honors

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Barrett and her husband were honored in 2002 by the Space Foundation with the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award[37] for their work creating awareness of and enthusiasm for space.

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

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1957 Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Shampoo demonstrator Uncredited
1958 As Young as We Are Joyce Goodwin
1958 The Black Orchid Luisa Uncredited
1958 The Buccaneer Townswoman #1
1960 Leave it to Beaver Gwen Rutherford
1961 Love in a Goldfish Bowl Alice
1961 Back Street Woman at Table Uncredited
1963 The Quick and the Dead Teresa
1965 Sylvia Anne Uncredited
1966 Made in Paris Mrs. David Prentiss Uncredited
1967 A Guide for the Married Man Mrs. Fred V.
1967 Track of Thunder Georgia Clark
1968 Here Come the Brides Tessa
1973 Westworld Miss Carrie
1977 The Domino Principle Yuloff
1979 Star Trek: The Motion Picture Christine Chapel
1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Christine Chapel
1994 Teresa's Tattoo Henrietta
1994 Star Trek Generations Ship Computer Voice role
1995 Mommy Mrs. Withers
1996 Star Trek: First Contact Ship Computer Voice role
1998 Star Trek: Insurrection Ship Computer Voice role
2002 Star Trek: Nemesis Ship Computer Voice role
2009 Star Trek Ship Computer Voice role;
Posthumous release
2014 Hamlet A.D.D. Queen Robot Voice role;
Posthumous release

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1959 Whirlybirds Nurse Episode: "The Black Maria"
1960 Johnny Midnight Rosemary McCoy Episode: "The Villain of the Piece"
1961–1962 Pete and Gladys Dental Assistant 2 episodes
1962
1966 		Bonanza Belle Ganther
Annie Slocum 		Episode: Gift of Water
Episode: Three Brides for Hoss
1964 The Lieutenant Ruth Donaldson Episode: "In the Highest Tradition"
1965 Star Trek "The Cage" Number One Original Star Trek-Pilot
1966–1969 Star Trek Christine Chapel 26 episodes
Ship Computer Voice role; 7 episodes, uncredited
1973 Genesis II Primus Dominique Television film
1973–1974 Star Trek: The Animated Series Christine Chapel (voice) 9 episodes
Various characters (voice) 22 episodes
1974 Planet Earth Yuloff Television film
1974 The F.B.I. Mrs. Derek Episode: "The Animal"
1974 The Questor Tapes Dr. Bradley Television film
1977 Spectre Mrs. Schnaible Television film
1979 The Suicide's Wife Clarissa Harmon Television film
1979 The Man in the Santa Claus Suit Miss Forsyth Television film
1987–1993 Star Trek: The Next Generation Lwaxana Troi 6 episodes
1987–1994 Ship Computer Voice role; 101 episodes, uncredited in early seasons, later credited.
1993–1999 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Ship/Federation Computer Voice role; 30 episodes
Lwaxana Troi 3 episodes
1995–2001 Star Trek: Voyager Ship Computer Voice role; 115 episodes
1996 Babylon 5 Lady Morella Episode: "Point of No Return"
1996-1998 Spider-Man: The Animated Series Anna Watson (voice) 17 episodes
1997–1999 Earth: Final Conflict Dr. Julianne Belman 11 episodes
2001 Family Guy Ship Computer (voice) Episode: "Emission Impossible"
2005 Star Trek: Enterprise Ship Computer (voice) Episode: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II & These Are The Voyages"
2023 Star Trek: Picard Enterprise Computer (voice) Episode: "Vox" & "Last Generation"; Posthumous release

Notes

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  1. ^ a b While many sources state that Barrett was born in Cleveland (e.g., Associated Press,[1] The Daily Telegraph,[2] Roddenberry Entertainment[3] and CBS Studios[4]), some sources say Columbus (e.g., Cleveland Plain Dealer,[5] Los Angeles Times[6] and, curiously, CBS Studios[7]).

References

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  1. ^ "Majel Roddenberry, 'Star Trek' Actress, Dies at 76". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Majel Barrett Roddenberry: Actress who found fame as the 'First Lady of Star Trek'". The Daily Telegraph. London. December 21, 2008. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "Corporate Bios". Roddenberry Entertainment. December 29, 2015. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Barrett". CBS Studios. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Shaker Heights High School grad Majel Roddenberry, 'First Lady of Star Trek,' dies". Cleveland Plain Dealer. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  6. ^ "Majel B. Roddenberry, wife of 'Star Trek' creator, dies". Los Angeles Times. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  7. ^ "Remembering Majel Barrett-Roddenberry". CBS Studios. February 23, 2011. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  8. ^ "1950 Shaker Heights High School Yearbook". Classmates.com. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  9. ^ "Patrolman William Hudec". Officer Down Memorial Page. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Solow, Herbert F. & Justman, Robert H. (1996). Inside Star Trek: The Real Story. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-89628-8.
  11. ^ Shatner, William & Kreski, Chris (1993). Star Trek Memories. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-017734-9. Claim made in the chapter on "The Cage".
  12. ^ Shatner & Kreski (1993), p. 65
  13. ^ "Bio and interview of Majel Barrett". Creation presents Majel Barrett. August 25–26, 1990. Archived from the original on January 17, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  14. ^ Mangels, Andy (Summer 2018). "Star Trek: The Animated Series". RetroFan. No. 1. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 25–37.
  15. ^ Rossall, Sean & Hopton, Alfred (December 11, 2008). "Original Star Trek Actress Majel Barrett-Roddenberry to Voice Enterprise Computer in J.J. Abrams' New Star Trek Film" (Press release). Roddenberry Productions. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2008.
  16. ^ "Trek creator's widow dies aged 76". BBC News. December 19, 2008. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  17. ^ Roddenberry, Majel. "Majel Barrett Roddenberry – Biography". Roddenberry Productions. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  18. ^ "Tekno-Comix Debuts First Titles". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 63. Ziff Davis. October 1994. p. 232.
  19. ^ "Point of No Return". The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5. October 29, 1996. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009.
  20. ^ Green, Penelope (July 11, 2017). "Alexa, Where Have You Been All My Life?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2017. When Toni Reid and her colleagues at Amazon set out to build the device that is now known as Alexa, they were inspired by the computer that drove the Enterprise on Star Trek (voiced by Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who played Nurse Chapel on the series and was married to the show's creator). Focusing on cadence and an accent that would suggest 'smart, humble, helpful,' the team tested voices that a diverse population would respond to. 'Our goal was to have Alexa be humanlike,' Ms. Reid said, but why end there?
  21. ^ "Voyages of Star Trek Computer Voice Majel Barrett Roddenberry". Voices.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  22. ^ a b Engel, Joel (1994). Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek. New York: Hyperion. p. 139. ISBN 0-7868-6004-9.
  23. ^ a b c Van Hise, James (1992). The Man Who Created Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry. Pioneer Books. p. 53. ISBN 1-55698-318-2.
  24. ^ a b Alexander, David (1995). Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry. New York: Roc. p. 370. ISBN 0-451-45440-5.
  25. ^ Engel (1994), p. 140.
  26. ^ Alexander (1995), p. 372.
  27. ^ Alexander (1995), p. 377.
  28. ^ Alexander (1995), p. 7.
  29. ^ "Ashes of Star Trek creator and wife rocketing to deep space". Space Daily. January 26, 2009. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  30. ^ "Solar Sail Demonstrator ('Sunjammer')". National Aeronautic and Space Administration. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  31. ^ "Enterprise Flight into Deep Space DNA Launch | Celestis®". January 12, 2022. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  32. ^ "Star Trek Community". Celestis.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  33. ^ "Nichelle Nichols to become latest Star Trek star to have ashes sent into space". The Guardian. London. August 26, 2022.
  34. ^ "Enterprise Flight".
  35. ^ "Sci-fi icon Majel Barrett Roddenberry dies at 76". Reuters. December 18, 2008. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016.
  36. ^ "L.A. funeral held for actress Majel Roddenberry". CTV News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
  37. ^ "Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award". Space Foundation. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011.
  38. ^ "Remembering the 'First Lady of Star Trek' Whose Voice Paved the Way for Alexa and Siri". April 12, 2022.
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