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Actress Grace Lee Whitney, Star Trek's Yeoman Janice Rand, Has Died

Posted by Soulskill on from the rest-in-peace dept.

SternisheFan writes: Grace Lee Whitney, the actress who played Yeoman Janice Rand on "Star Trek: The Original Series," reportedly died Friday in her home in Coarsegold, California. No cause of death has been reported. She was 85. The versatile actress and vocalist was born Mary Ann Chase in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1930. She was adopted by the Whitney family, and as a teenager, began her career in entertainment as a singer and dancer. She eventually became interested in acting and in 1966, clinched a role as Yeoman Janice Rand, a personal assistant to William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk in the first season of the original "Star Trek" TV series.

6 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. God bless and keep you, Yeoman Rand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That is all

    1. Re:God bless and keep you, Yeoman Rand by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Wow..I had no idea she was that old.

      I used to think she was pretty hot back on the old Star Trek days....

      Well, sounds like she had a full life....say hello to Leonard, Deforest and James for us all!!

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    2. Re:God bless and keep you, Yeoman Rand by wcrowe · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Indeed. I recall what St. Nikolai Velimirovic said about death:

      "Think of yourself as though you were dead, I say to myself, and you will not feel the coming of death. Blunt the barb of death during life, and when it comes it will not have the means to sting. Think of yourself every morning as a newborn miracle, and you will not feel old age. Do not wait for death to come, because death has indeed already come and has not left you. Its teeth are continually in your flesh. Whatever was living before your birth and whatever will survive your death--that even now is alive within you."

      --
      Proverbs 21:19
  2. Re:Yawn. by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Informative

    She may have been a minor character, but I remember the first time I watched Return Of Spock, and there was her cameo in Space Dock as the wounded Enterprise limped in. It was pretty emotional scene, and it was nice to see one of the second tier actors again. I thought it was pretty damned nice of Nimoy to bring her back for that cameo.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Re:Yawn. by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, 50 shades of green.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Re:Yawn. by FlyHelicopters · · Score: 5, Informative

    I thought it was pretty damned nice of Nimoy to bring her back for that cameo.

    Nimoy was pretty dammed nice all around...

    For Star Trek 6, he pushed the studio to give DeForest a big raise to $1 millon as thanks for all that he had done. DeForest had never been paid much and was actually rather poor, driving an old beat up car and living in a small home without much savings.

    If you look into it, Nimoy has a history of looking out for other people. A real nice person. Hopefully he was beamed right up, where it is we all go...