The actress, who is best known for playing the loyal Janice Rand on 'Star Trek' TV series and movies, died on Friday, May 1 at her home in Coarsegold, California.
- May 4, 2015
AceShowbiz - Grace Lee Whitney, who is best known for her role as the royal Yeoman Janice Rand on "Star Trek" original TV series in 1966, passed away at the age of 85 on Friday, May 1 at her home in Coarsegold, California. Her son Jonathan Dweck confirmed the sad news on Sunday.
Grace appeared in eight of thirteen episodes of "Star Trek" first season where there was much sexual tension between her character and William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk. She was then suddenly released from the contract, leaving fans one big mistery for years.
In a 2011 interview, Grace explained, "There was a scene that Shatner and I did - and I remember when it happened - that scared the producers, because they said, 'Uh-oh, they're getting too close. This is getting too hot. We have to remove her because he's going to look like he's cheating when he falls in love with other women on other planets.' "
However, when the series was reborn as a movie in 1970s, Grace returned to the "Star Trek" franchise, reprising her role as Janice Rand who had received a promotion to Chief Petty Officer in "Star Trek The Motion Picture". She also appeared in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" in 1984, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" in 1986, "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" in 1991 and "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1996.
Grace revealed in her 1998 book "The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy" that she was sexually assaulted by an executive in Desilu, the production company behind "Star Trek", causing her to suffer from drug and alcohol abuse for years before turning her life around.
Grace's family told NBC News that she would be wanted to be remembered as a "successful survivor of addiction." They said, "Grace experienced 35 years of sobriety through continuous fellowship with others and through God and Jesus."
The latest installment of "Star Trek" starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Idris Elba, "Star Trek 3", is set to hit theaters in the U.S. on July 8, 2016.
