And just 10 minutes later, as it was climbing to altitude after takeoff, the plane exploded.
[cue the 'Twilight Zone' music ]
Nichelle Nichols' latest spin re MLK
- Thread starter Ssosmcin
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And just 10 minutes later, as it was climbing to altitude after takeoff, the plane exploded.
[cue the 'Twilight Zone' music ]
Then I was with him the day he was killed in Memphis, I heard the shot and tried to use myself as a human shield to take the bullet but was too late. Then I unholstered my .357 Magnum and fired in the direction of the shooter until my clip was empty. Then I chased the sniper on foot for 10 blocks, running through people's houses, across busy streets until I almost caught him but an old ankle injury I suffered on Star Trek popped and I fell just as I was about to take him down.......
Why should she? There are many people lying about far more serious issues and getting away with it. And I don't mean Lyin' Brian.
I'm with bbailey861 and wish her nothing but the best.
Yes, this is being quietly and reverently whispered at this time; she is beginning to slowly leave us. I have no issue with variations on her story at this late date in her life. I also wish her nothing but the best, and if it comes to it, a soft and gentle lift off into tomorrow.
It looks like the "drift" was mostly between Nichols' actual interview and the MeTV copywriter's one-sentence description of it.
The description says that "Martin Luther King, Jr. convinced her to stay on 'Star Trek' when an opportunity to pursue a career on Broadway arose," but what she actually says is "There was once when I was going to leave the show to go to Broadway, which I was born determined to make the theater, and especially Broadway, my goal, where I would star." I don't read that as suggesting that she already had a role lined up.
The description says that "Martin Luther King, Jr. convinced her to stay on 'Star Trek' when an opportunity to pursue a career on Broadway arose," but what she actually says is "There was once when I was going to leave the show to go to Broadway, which I was born determined to make the theater, and especially Broadway, my goal, where I would star." I don't read that as suggesting that she already had a role lined up.
I'd never heard of that movie so I looked it up.
Man, that was hard to watch. I spent a lot of years around people who talked like that and it used to just roll off. Now it's really disturbing to hear.
I know, I know, people still talk like that. I just don't hear it all day every day like I used to.
This.
It perfectly lines up with her previous statements about wanting to leave Star Trek to continue pursuing her musical career. I think the fault lies with whoever wrote the by-line accidentally attributing quotes to her that aren't true.
I hope it's gentle and quick... Not a slow and painful one.
I hope she's not reading this. You guys are already putting shovels in the ground. 
When did this happen (and are there any links?)
This whole deal sounds like what happened to Rita Hayworth in her later years; being constantly asked to appear even though her memory is fading and what she remembers sounds impossible. As somebody said about what was happening to Hayworth vis-a-vis these appearances, 'Well, that's Hollywood. They'll drain the blood out of you, if they can.' I think that the same thing is happening to Ms. Nichols.
At any rate, I hope that this puts the kibosh on an appearance in the next movie for her and the others.
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I hope she's not reading this. You guys are already putting shovels in the ground.
Indeed, it went from being old and starting to get 'foggy' to putting shovels in the ground waaaaayyyyy to quickly.
If it's the foggy that condemns her to slow deterioration... I'd rather see things end quickly. My mom has been so condemned and that way of leaving is anything but gentle.
1) Do I think she embellished the MLK story over the years? Yes.
2) At 82, do I think she's intentionally lying about it? Not anymore or any less then she has been all these years previously.
My mother is 81; and I can tell you, yes, the memory starts to go, and get foggy (and no that DOESN'T equal senility.) Also, (and I spoke with my mom directly because shes been through some rough times medically recently, but does like to joke about it sometimes) and she said to me - Hey, when you get this old, you know there'll probably be a day soon where you will go to sleep and won't wake up; and you make peace with that and it's okay. It's life.
Honestly most of the time when I interact and talk with my mom (I call a few times a month); she's still pretty mentally sharp.
My point: Even were Ms. Nichols to see and read this, I'm sure she knows her age and what that all entails. Personally, it's good to know she still has the energy to do the occasional Convention and ME TV promo.
2) At 82, do I think she's intentionally lying about it? Not anymore or any less then she has been all these years previously.
My mother is 81; and I can tell you, yes, the memory starts to go, and get foggy (and no that DOESN'T equal senility.) Also, (and I spoke with my mom directly because shes been through some rough times medically recently, but does like to joke about it sometimes) and she said to me - Hey, when you get this old, you know there'll probably be a day soon where you will go to sleep and won't wake up; and you make peace with that and it's okay. It's life.
Honestly most of the time when I interact and talk with my mom (I call a few times a month); she's still pretty mentally sharp.
My point: Even were Ms. Nichols to see and read this, I'm sure she knows her age and what that all entails. Personally, it's good to know she still has the energy to do the occasional Convention and ME TV promo.
I am fascinated by the way the story grows in the retelling.
I've been trying to properly source Nichols' various versions of the story. Does anybody have any particularly early (and modest) examples, like that chat show where she offered it as conjecture?
I've been trying to properly source Nichols' various versions of the story. Does anybody have any particularly early (and modest) examples, like that chat show where she offered it as conjecture?
Nothing in the most recent interview contradicts what she wrote in her autobiography 20 years ago. The autobiography doesn't say that her next move would have been trying to make it on Broadway, but given her pre-Trek background, it would have been a logical move.
The King story doesn't happen to feature in any of my usual go-to books, the GR-authorized "The Making of Star Trek," the unauthorized "Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek," or Solow and Justman's "Inside Star Trek."
The King story doesn't happen to feature in any of my usual go-to books, the GR-authorized "The Making of Star Trek," the unauthorized "Gene Roddenberry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star Trek," or Solow and Justman's "Inside Star Trek."
For the reason mentioned above: this is not the early 70s, where she, Roddenberry & Doohan could spin largely BS stories on the convention circuit and watch as fresh-minded ST fans lapped it up. History has debunked almost every TOS myth ever created--including her 700,000 acts of re-imagining the MLK story.
Further, MLK literally laid his life on the line for a great cause bigger than himself, or any other individual, so I find it the height of self-serving behavior for N.N. to continue to tie her acting career to the man, as though he placed such value on her presence on a series. Hell, Bill Cosby was already on I Spy a year earlier, which--considering the idea of a black agent in the very white world of 1960s filmed espionage (and at the height of the real life Cold War) was just as--if not more significant.
Her fans can defend her as much as they like, but when all is said and done, not one biography will be free of the fact she's used the life and legacy of MLK to piggyback her endless reimaginings of the now highly questionable story.
Yup, I'm in line with the above post by ZapBrannigan, though this thread is an interesting read.
But why I replied really was to give a shout out to the witty reply by Poltargyst that took me by surprise and had me laughing out loud:
"Did she tell you how important it was for you to act in Star Trek?"
Cracked me up.
Definitely more significant...he was the co-star of a major prime time series. She was a recurring supporting character.
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