How unusual was it for a black actress to have a role like Uhura in 1966?

It was unheard of. As a matter of fact, I really did not at first appreciate the magnitude of what he was doing. He never did anything without knowing what and why he was doing it, but I didn't really realise what he was accomplishing.

Throughout the first season I was simply so affected by each script, each episode kept getting better and better and bett and I thought, 'Gene better be careful because they're going to cancel this show: it's too good.'

It was towards the end of the show and I was really considering leaving the show, for no other reason than I wanted to return to the theatre. I went in to talk to Gene - this was I was getting up nerve to tell him I was leaving the show, but at this point I went in and I said ' Gene, I've been watching each of the episodes and they each get better and better' and I said, 'And I discovered something: you're writing morality plays.' And he said, 'Shhh. They haven't figured it out yet.'