The voice of Abrams’ Enterprise will be familiar to longtime fans

Scott Kirchhofer Movies

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (Associated Press file)Variety is reporting that Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, who was married to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and is the only actor to appear in every version of the series, will continue her voyage with J.J. Abrams’ upcoming feature film, also titled Star Trek. She will give voice to the computer on the Starship Enterprise.

A fan favorite, Barrett appeared in the very first Star Trek pilot “The Cage” as the Enterprise’s first officer — a role that NBC executives were reportedly uncomfortable giving to a woman in 1964. When the series was retooled, Barrett went on to play Nurse Chapel instead and have brief appearances in several of the movies, as well as lend her voice to the starship’s computer.
Associated Press file

>> Update: R.I.P. Majel-Barrett Roddenberry, 1932-2008

Barrett and Roddenberry wed in 1969 after Star Trek was canceled. When the show’s first spinoff, Star Trek: The Next Generation, debuted in 1987, she once again provided the computer voice but also found a new role: Betazoid Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Enterprise Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis). Her romantic pursuit of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was an ongoing source of comic relief. She reprised the character on the spinoff Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and continued to voice the computers on Star Trek: Voyager and some episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Barrett-Roddenberry joins original Trek star Leonard Nimoy as the only (so far) returning actors in Abrams’ project.

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