President Obama poses in the Oval Office of the White House with “Star Trek” actress Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on the iconic series.
Morning Mash Up host Stanley T. poses with actress Nichelle Nichols at SiriusXM Studio on November 30, 2011, in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Actors Angie Dickinson and Nichelle Nichols attend the Pioneers of Television photocall at the 92nd Street Y, on January 16, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Actress Nichelle Nichols attends ‘Out Of Silence: Readings from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project’ at the Museum Of Tolerance on March 8, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Actresses Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols arrive at the 2009 BET Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Actresses Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols arrive at the 2009 BET Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Actresses Zoe Saldana and Nichelle Nichols arrive at the 2009 BET Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium on June 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Actor George Takei and Nichelle Nichols speak onstage at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, held at NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE on April 18, 2009, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Actress Nichelle Nichols arrives at the premiere of Regent Entertainment’s ‘Tru Loved,’ held at the Regent Showcase Theater on October 11, 2008 in Los Angeles, Califronia. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
A fun Twitpic of President Obama posing with Star Track actress Nichelle Nichols in the Oval Office of the White House has gone viral. The photo of the president and Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura on the iconic series, was posted on February 29th of this year, but is just bubbling up now. It’s a top post today on the trending topics site Buzzfeed.
Could the sudden interest be due to the fact that fellow Star Trek alum George Takei just posted it to his facebook page about an hour ago? Seems likely. The photo of the POTUS and actress throwing up Spock’s “Live long and prosper” hand sign has already garnered 27,117 likes, 5,237 shares, and 2,373 comments.
It also has a few fans welcoming President Obama into that special club of Star Trek personae otherwise known as “nerds.”
“Black Nerds Unite!” one person who shared the image on her Facebook page chanted virtually.
“Wow, first black female to kiss a white male actor o[n] television. First black president in the white house. Who knew?” cheered one fan of the shot on Takei’s Facebook page.
“Who ever would have dreamt this scene forty years ago, they’d have locked you up and thrown away the key. GBA!,” (or God Bless America) another Facebook user chimed in.
“She’s still just as beautiful as ever!” another added.
Yes, Nichelle does look great. Nichols, 79 years old, first played the role that made her famous in 1968. People think actress Helen Mirren is sexy in her late sixties, but Nichols is certainly giving her a run for her money at over a decade older.
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb
