RIP Grace Lee Whitney

*removes hat and bows*

First time I remember seeing Grace Lee Whitney was when she played Rand in a very brief cameo in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. I had no idea who she was or why she was given that much screen time and I didn't know she returned for another cameo in the next movie (Strangely going from an officer uniform to a cadet uniform) than seeing her character expanded to an actual role in Star Trek VI. And shamefully, I had no idea they were the same actress or character even when I watched all of TOS for the first time 10 years ago. But boy, was it an awesome revelation knowing that Rand from TOS was there the whole time in the TOS movies.
 
I Had the honor of escorting her to a screening of "Generations". The guy running it was a total tool, and there was a mix up about the number of meals paid for etc, and my friend and I were basically told by him that we had no proof we paid and to go home. Well Grace noticed the commotion and walked up, I noticed she was wearing her AA Coin, and offhand mentioned it was good to meet a friend of Bill W. Well that was it, my friend and I were in like Flint. She as a class act all the way. R.I.P. Grace. You had your problems, but it was crap the way they let you go off TOS.
 
Another TOS member passing on, Rest in Peace Ms. Whitney.
Rough to realize just how long ago the original series ran, seeing the cast and crew passing on now is a little hard to take. I met everyone of the cast through convention in the 70's and 80's, they were all very gracious people. The fandom movement of that time was unique and pulled that cast together in a manner that is very rare to see. That show has trail blazed so much for both sci fiction shows and for how people gather together now to show appreciation, their works live on with such.
 
First time I remember seeing Grace Lee Whitney was when she played Rand in a very brief cameo in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. I had no idea who she was or why she was given that much screen time and I didn't know she returned for another cameo in the next movie (Strangely going from an officer uniform to a cadet uniform) than seeing her character expanded to an actual role in Star Trek VI. And shamefully, I had no idea they were the same actress or character even when I watched all of TOS for the first time 10 years ago. But boy, was it an awesome revelation knowing that Rand from TOS was there the whole time in the TOS movies.

Wasn't Rand in TSFS. It should have been. Rand was enlisted in TMP, serving as transporter operator, then back to being enlisted again in TVH (that's an enlisted uniform, which some sources erroneously called out as a cadet uniform -- the bright red departmental color was the indicator of officer cadets and enlisted trainees alike). Rand was always a noncom up until TUC. I like to think Sulu sponsored her going to OCS so he could have her as a bridge officer on his ship.

All of that, incidentally, is part of why this hurts so much. Out of the Original Series era, it was an accomplishment for Gene to have gotten even one woman in a significant role, let alone more than one. Not to mention the female guest stars who were engineers or doctors or lawyers or other vocations that were almost unheard-of in the '60s. But the main cast was still very male-heavy. So while I've mourned De and Jimmy and Mark (Lenard -- I know Sarek was a secondary character, but important, and Mark gave him such presence...) and now Leonard... When Majel died, it hit me a lot harder. And now Grace. She went through so much. Gene steadfastly believed in her, even after having to fire her from the show because of her, ah... life issues. He supported and encouraged her to get her life together and brought her back for the movie when she did. One of the things that actually made me teary when I saw Star Trek VI for the first time in the theater was seeing her in an officer's uniform on the bridge of the Excelsior. That was a real-world acknowledgment of Grace on the part of the filmmakers, not just fanservice.

--Jonah
 
Wasn't Rand in TSFS. It should have been. Rand was enlisted in TMP, serving as transporter operator, then back to being enlisted again in TVH (that's an enlisted uniform, which some sources erroneously called out as a cadet uniform -- the bright red departmental color was the indicator of officer cadets and enlisted trainees alike). Rand was always a noncom up until TUC. I like to think Sulu sponsored her going to OCS so he could have her as a bridge officer on his ship.

Huh? Everything I have read - including her bio and imdb, states that she was in TSFS.

"Grace Lee Whitney: Janice Rand, Kirk's yeoman in season one of Star Trek (1966) and returned as transporter chief in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), makes a cameo appearance during the Enterprise's docking sequence. She is the red haired officer in the spacedock lounge who shakes her head in disapproval as she sees the ship's damage."

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M
 
Huh? Everything I have read - including her bio and imdb, states that she was in TSFS.

It was GLW. It was not Rand. The film credits of TMP and TVH list GLW as Rand. TSFS lists her as "Woman in Cafeteria". They should have gone that one more step to make it Rand, so the look on her face as she shakes her head would have had much more meaning. "Oh, Jim, what have you done to her now...?"

--Jonah
 
It was GLW. It was not Rand. The film credits of TMP and TVH list GLW as Rand. TSFS lists her as "Woman in Cafeteria". They should have gone that one more step to make it Rand, so the look on her face as she shakes her head would have had much more meaning. "Oh, Jim, what have you done to her now...?"

--Jonah

Ah, gotcha. Thanks.

M
 
Last I checked, Rand is also a woman.

Oh, now you're just being pedantic. You could use the same argument to say Sarek was the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror". Grace wasn't the first, nor the last, actor to play more than one role in Trek. I could rattle off half a dozen in TOS alone. I need to go back and delve into the details, but when they made TSFS, they brought Grace back as an homage, not realizing she had been back as Rand in TMP. They were made aware after the fact, and brought her back once more as Rand in IV and VI. But they are different characters.

Believe me, no Trekkie is going to think that wasn't Rand, especially with her reaction to the Enterprise.

Actually, most Trekkies do see them as different characters. Janice Rand has always been shown as a blonde, Woman-in-Cafeteria was a redhead. Janice Rand was always enlisted, up until she had a low officer rank in TUC. Woman-in-Cafeteria was a medium-high-ranking officer (in between two appearances by Janice as a Chief Petty Officer). Some take the approach that Woman-in-Cafeteria is Janice's relative (and her reaction is due to Janices stories of what Jim irk would do to that ship), but every official source (and the majority of fan opinion at least back to the early internet -- I was there) is that they're different characters. I wish it were otherwise.

Meanwhile, back to remembering a lovely and strong woman who overcame personal demons for a well-deserved comeback in the universe she helped bring into existence.

--Jonah
 
Oh, now you're just being pedantic.
Actually, most Trekkies do see them as different characters. Janice Rand has always been shown as a blonde, Woman-in-Cafeteria was a redhead.

Not a strong point since women can change their hair color, even in Star Trek.

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I'd argue that her short scene in TSFS has more 'Rand' to her performance than anything else we see in the later movies. She's just an officer talking over the com channels in 4 and there's nothing to indicate that Rand was ever a part of the original series crew in 6. Excluding everything after Star Trek III, would you honestly say that wasn't Rand even if the credits don't list her by name? They probably didn't deliberately name her Rand due to royalty issues, which if you're familiar with Star Trek you would know has caused all kinds of continuity havoc later in the franchise. It's a great little performance that means something if it's Rand. If it's not, than it's just pointless moment and Grace certainly deserves better.
 
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