Happy to be playing Uhura once more in the internet film Of Gods and Men, Nichelle Nichols spoke about her friendships with fellow Star Trek alumni and celebrating the series' 40th anniversary.

"To have been away and come back on the bridge [of the Enterprise] that was in upstate New York that was just mind blowing," Nichols told iF Magazine. "Stepping out of that elevator and onto the bridge for the first time, my line was to be 'As I live and breathe.' I had practiced it because I would be seeing Chekov and friends again, but when I came out and saw the bridge my line came out '(trembling voice) Well as I live and breathe.' I was literally back on the ship, except that it’s a museum."

In Of Gods and Men, Nichols plays a version of Uhura in an alternate Star Trek timeline. "The nice part about it is it is 40 years later...there’s not an age consideration, it’s already taken care of, and that was lovely to play." She was very impressed with the sets and design of the Enterprise and called it "really gratifying and lovely" to work with the guest performers. In addition, "The script for the most part was so well done."

Though she has occasionally encountered all of her Star Trek co-stars at events and film premieres - she roasted William Shatner (Kirk) at a recent event for Comedy Central - she is closest with Leonard Nimoy (Spock), Walter Koenig (Chekov) and George Takei (Sulu), saying that socially and politically, she is extremely compatible with them. She was also very close with the late James Doohan (Scotty), and says of Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Chapel), "We've always been good friends...it’s always wonderful to see her. When we run into each other we head for a lounge and climb in a booth and order champagne and yak about old times."

Nichols does not feel that the Star Trek sequels were in any way competitors with the original series, saying, "We became heroes that were set up in such a way that allowed fans to enjoy the subsequent ones without comparison to us...then everything else was able to stand on its own, and some did that rather brilliantly." She has not yet seen the remastered episodes of her own series.

The full interview is here.

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