“We have lost a true star” – 'Star Trek' reboot lead Zoe Saldaña mourns her role's originator, Nichelle Nichols

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Zoe Saldaña took to Instagram to mourn the passing of Star Trek‘s Lt. Nyota Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 89.

Saldaña succeeded Nichols in the role of the Starfleet linguist and communications officer in three reboot films, with a fourth on the way.

“Nichelle made me feel safe, told me to play her with all the confidence in the world,” the Guardians of the Galaxy series star noted, calling Nichols “a unique artist who was ahead of her time always.”

“My hope is that we continue to keep her memory alive by