Zoe Saldana Pays Tribute To Original Uhura Actress Nichelle Nichols

Zoe Saldana is paying tribute to Nichelle Nichols.

The 44-year-old actress wrote a gracious message about the Star Trek actress, who passed away over the weekend.

Zoe played the same role of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura in the most recent Star Trek movies.

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Taking to her Instagram, Zoe remembered meeting Nichelle about the role and is sharing what she told her at the time.

“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,” Zoe wrote.

She went on, writing that “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. I mean, she inspired Mae Jemison to follow her dreams of becoming an astronaut and that’s exactly what Mae did.”

“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,” Zoe continued. “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.”

“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.”

Zoe concluded her tribute, “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.”

Just recently, Zoe opened up about the cancellation of HBO Max’s Gordita Chronicles, which she was a producer on.