William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols were part of history due to what is largely considered to be the first interracial kiss on TV in America. Shown in the Star Trek season 3 episode ‘Plato’s Stepchildren’, Captain Kirk and Uhura are telekinetically forced to kiss each other. The show has always pushed the boundaries, and this was another feather in their cap.
However, the TV network was reportedly not entirely enthusiastic about the idea and feared retaliation from viewers. While creator Gene Roddenberry was insistent on keeping the kiss, the production tried to be safe and hoped to film different takes where Shatner implied a kiss with Uhura. However, the veteran actor did not comply.
William Shatner pushed for the kiss with Nichelle Nichols to be aired
While the kiss between Captain Kirk and Uhura on Star Trek was not technically the ‘first’ interracial kiss on TV, it was definitely one of the most important and was possibly the first scripted moment where a White man and a Black Woman kissed on TV. There were several moments earlier on live TV where small kisses were shared between races.
However, William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols’ scene is definitely a remarkable moment in TV history. It reportedly did not change immediately, but the effect of the kiss was definitely seen in future TV shows. The network, however, was reportedly aware of how historic the moment would be and feared retaliation from more conservative viewers.
Hence, the network reportedly pushed to only take the implied kiss and not have Kirk perform the act on screen. Shatner, however, was not going to have it. He told THR,
I do remember saying, ‘Maybe they’ll try and edit it. What can I do to try and discourage the editing of the kiss itself?’ I don’t remember quite what I did because it’s difficult to cut away [from the kiss in an edit]. But yeah, I remember thinking that.
Shatner reportedly ruined all the ‘safe’ takes while filming, and hence, forced the network’s hand in airing the kiss scene instead, thus creating history. He would later go on to agree with Bill Maher when he said that if he had not insisted on it, it probably would not have happened.
Nichelle Nichols revealed how William Shatner ruined non-kiss takes
Nichelle Nichols’ casting in Star Trek itself was something revolutionary for American TV at the time, and she inspired countless African-Americans to follow a path in show business. Her lead role as Uhura did a lot for Black people in the mainstream, and the kiss between her and Captain Kirk was even more historic.
Nichols spoke about how the network was too scared to film the kiss, and even on set, the director asked William Shatner in a hush-hush tone as to why he kissed her for real. However, the actor was reportedly in no mood to let this scene go, and hence ruined takes where they had to imply the kiss. Nichols said (via Geeks of Doom),
The whole time, Bill is still being silly and pretending to have to take the kiss shot over and over again…Meanwhile, the NBC guys keep talking to the director about how the station affiliates in the South might react, which just made us all the more tense. Finally, we get to the take with no kiss…Bill suddenly turned me toward the camera. He then picks his head up and makes a silly face into the camera. Nobody knows what he’s done, except maybe the cameraman.
Nichols mentioned that Shatner rolled his eyes in the take that the director had approved, which they knew only while watching the dailies. They had no choice but to air the kiss.
Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount+.
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