From one Uhura to another, Zoe Saldana has written a touching tribute for late Star Trek legend Nichelle Nichols. In the original Star Trek series, Nichols was featured in her groundbreaking role as Lieutenant Uhura, forever making her a dear favorite for fans of the sci-fi franchise. The role was later taken over by Saldana in a trilogy of reboot movies but with the full blessing of Nichols.

On Instagram, Saldana posted some images of Nichols along with a tribute message. Along with praising Nichols for the work she did on Star Trek and how that paved the way for women of color on screen, Saldana also describes how meeting the actress was a particularly special moment. Through their meetings, Saldana continued to be inspired by Nichols with all the encouragement as seen in the Instagram tribute.

"I’m saddened to learn of Nichelle Nichols’ passing. We have lost a true star- a unique artist who was ahead of her time always. She’s an icon, an activist and most importantly an amazing woman- who blazed a trail that has shown so many how to see women of color in a different light. Her strive for equality was unwavering. Meeting Nichelle was truly a very special moment in my life. Her energy was infectious every time I was in her presence. She convinced me in believing that anything was achievable, if you put your heart into it."

Saldana also described the pressure of following Nichols with the role of Uhura in the Star Trek movies which was eased by the support and advice she'd gotten from the late actress.

"I knew I had big shoes to fill when I was chosen to play Uhura, and Nichelle made me feel safe, told me to play her with all the confidence in the world. My hope is that we continue to keep her memory alive by celebrating her amazing body of work, and by spreading the message of peace and equality amongst all people. She lived a long, impactful life and not only prospered, but helped so many others prosper too."

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Nichelle Nichols Will Never Be Forgotten

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
CBS Paramount Television

Zoe Saldana concluded her tribute post with a Maya Angelou quote, stressing just how memorable Nichols had been with everything she had said and done along with how she made people feel.

"Maya Angelou once said 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' I agree with this statement with the exception of Nichelle Nichols. It’ll be hard to forget what she said and hard to forget what she did, and it will certainly be impossible to forget how she made us feel. REST IN POWER QUEEN NICHELLE."

There have been many other friends and fans of Nichols paying tribute to the television legend following the news of her death. It just proves Saldan's point that Nichols is not going to be forgotten and will always be remembered for her contributions. Rest in peace.