The Multifaceted Essence of Uhura in Star Trek: A Zoe Saldaña Perspective

The Essence of Uhura

Zoe Saldaña, who plays Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies, describes the iconic character’s “androgynous essence” in the franchise’s first reboot movie. A linguistics specialist with an aptitude for mathematics and USS Enterprise communications officer, Nichelle Nichols introduced Lieutenant Uhura to audiences in 1966. Running for three consecutive seasons until 1969, Star Trek: The Original Series cast went on to film six feature movies between 1979 and 1992 before Abrams’ 2009 movie modernized and recast the original crew. As the multilingual, eloquent Nyota Uhura, Zoe Saldaña brings inner strength, charisma, and a renewed sense of grounded independence to the character.

Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in Star Trek

In Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross’ Star Trek oral history, “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years,” Zoe Saldaña discusses the character’s interpersonal relationships with the other cast members and describes how Uhura’s “androgynous essence” lent to an energy that influenced the character’s reception. Saldaña addresses how the Starship Enterprise's articulate comms officer is perceived by her colleagues, how this self-awareness and internalized control drives her professionalism and camaraderie with the crew, and contrasts this against Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk. Read her quote below:

Star Trek (2009). Zoe Saldaña as Nyota Uhura.

There’s an androgynous essence to Uhura. Even though she’s very beautiful and her feminine presence is obvious, there’s this energy and leadership to her that sort of gives you that feeling that her sex appeal is probably observed and admired by the audience, but her coworkers just acknowledge her energy and authority. And I love that. She’s in charge of so many things and she has so much control of herself, her emotions, and she is considered capable enough to run the linguistics department on her own, and I just find that amazing. In the first movie, there’s definitely the curiosity that all the characters have for each other, because they are meeting for the first time. That’s one thing I absolutely loved. Here you’ve got Kirk, who is a very cocky young man who was born to do this. It’s a gift. Whether he wants it or not, he possesses it. Things are very easy for him, whereas a character like Uhura is someone who has had to work really hard for everything that she’s earned. There’s just an awareness of each other, and she’s, like, “Why is he so the boss of it all and so disrespectful and so funny?” And I’m pretty sure Kirk goes, “She’s sexy, she wears that little dress, she knows what she’s doing.” Maybe he’s not used to dating smart girls or something. So there’s definitely a very awesome sense of intrigue that all of the characters are possessing that I absolutely love.

Uhura Has Been Played By Three Different Actors

Nichelle Nichols, Zoe Saldaña, and Celia Rose Gooding Have All Portrayed Uhura

Nichelle Nichols' pioneering performance as the brilliant communications specialist on Star Trek's USS Enterprise infused the character with wisdom, humanity, and selected traits - she is graceful, musical, confident, intelligent, playful, and creative. Unfairly restricted due to the inequality and social attitudes of the time, the character has since seen renewal and development through portrayals by Zoe Saldaña in Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Celia Rose Gooding. With each performance drawing inspiration from Nichols's original work, Saldana and Gooding have woven complementary new facets into the role. Gooding's youthful energy adds inexperience and uncertainty, whereas Saldaña brings fearless readiness and strength.

Celia Rose Gooding and Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in Star Trek.

Nichelle Nichols also voiced Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Each Uhura iteration lends depth and vitality to the role and builds into the majesty of the franchise's iconic characters. Celia Rose Gooding develops Nichelle Nichols' earlier performance, filling in details before Star Trek: The Original Series with familial history and formative experiences. Zoe Saldaña explores the role in a parallel universe, affected by different events and timing, offering an unwavering willingness to stand up when necessary, demonstrating persistency and a keen eye for observation. Taken alongside the character's energy and leadership skills throughout Star Trek, as commented on by Zoe Saldaña in the quote above, Uhura is definitively multifaceted with significance, depth, and room yet for even greater expression.

Strange New Worlds Lt. Uhura