Majel Barrett was a renowned American actress, best known for her long association with the Star Trek franchise. Born Majel Leigh Hudec in 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, she grew up with aspirations of becoming an actress. She began her career as a theatrical actress, appearing in various productions, including an off-Broadway road company in 1955.
Barrett's first film role was in the satirical film "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" (1957),followed by a credited role in the high school drama film "As Young as We Are" (1958). She went on to appear in various television shows, including "Leave It to Beaver", "The Lucy Show", and "Bonanza", often working with the television production company Desilu Productions.
In 1964, Barrett met Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, while working on the series "The Lieutenant". Roddenberry was still married at the time, but he and Barrett began a romantic relationship, which would eventually lead to their marriage in 1969. Barrett was cast in the role of Nurse Christine Chapel in Star Trek, The Original Series (1966-1969),and later reprised the role in the film "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979).
After Star Trek, Barrett appeared in various films and television shows, including "Westworld", "Genesis II", and "The Questor Tapes". She also voiced characters in the animated series "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (1973-1974) and the horror film "Spectre" (1977).
In the 1980s, Barrett returned to Star Trek, guest-starring as Lwaxana Troi, the eccentric mother of counselor Deanna Troi, in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994) and "Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999). She also appeared in the films "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986) and "Star Trek: Generations" (1994).
In the 1990s, Barrett lent her voice talents to several Star Trek video games and the animated Spider-Man TV series. She also appeared in two theatrical movies and developed several of Gene Roddenberry's unfinished projects into television series, including "Earth: Final Conflict" (1997-2002) and "Andromeda" (2000-2005).
Barrett was diagnosed with leukemia in her later years and passed away in December 2008 at the age of 76. Her funeral was attended by several of her former co-stars from Star Trek. Despite her passing, Barrett's legacy lives on as a major figure in the Star Trek franchise.
