Nichelle Nichols
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Nichols was personally encouraged by Martin Luther King, Jr. to stay in her role as Lieutenant Uhura on the original run of Star Trek. Her character was unprecedented on US television as she was one of the first black women to be in a role of power instead of servitude. The kiss she and William Shatner shared on a 1968 episode is often considered one of the first interracial kiss on American television.
George Takei
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Takei originated the role of Lt. Sulu in the series. Today, he is a strong gay rights advocate as well as a major player in Japanese-American relations. He just opened his very own musical, Allegiance, on Broadway.
Grace Lee Whitney
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This beauty has lived a very interesting life. The original mermaid for Chicken of the Sea tuna, the actress has had a fruitful career aside from Star Trek, going on to release music and even a book during the ’90s. The actress still made appearances at Star Trek conventions until her death at just over 85 years old.