Grace Lee Whitney, Yeoman Janice Rand On ‘Star Trek,’ Dead at 85
Grace Lee Whitney, the iconic Star Trek actress, has died at the age of 85.
The Associated Press was the first to confirm that Whitney, who played Captain Kirk’s assistant Yeoman Janice Rand, died from natural causes on Friday, May 1, at her home in the Central California town of Coarsegold, about 50 miles north of Fresno, according to her son Jonathan Dweck.
Her death was later confirmed on the official Star Trek website.
“StarTrek.com is deeply saddened to report the passing of Grace Lee Whitney, who played Yeoman Janice Rand on Star Trek: The Original Series, in several of the TOS features and also on Star Trek: Voyager,” the site reads. “According to her family, the actress and singer died on May 1 at the age of 85, passing away peacefully in her home in Coarsegold, California.”
“Whitney, a blue-eyed blond beauty, represented one of Star Trek‘s greatest cautionary tales and also one of the franchise’s most satisfying renaissance stories. She played the deeply professional Rand in eight first-season TOS episodes before being dropped from the series and slipping into an abyss of drugs and alcohol that left her, quite literally, on Hollywood’s Skid Row. She finally got help, found God, and reclaimed her life and career, with an assist from Leonard Nimoy, and spent decades helping others overcome their own addictions.”
Whitney appeared as Rand in the first eight episodes of the 1966 series, Star Trek: The Original Series, before being written off. In 1979, she revived her role as a chief petty officer in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. She made her final appearance as Rand in the 1991 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
In 1998, Whitney wrote an autobiography titled, The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy, where she credited the end of her career coming from her struggles with drugs and alcohol. Dweck explained that his mother dedicated the last 35 years of her life helping people with addiction problems. Several of those people she met at Star Trek conventions, which she regularly attended until the past few years.
We’re saddened to report the passing of Grace Lee Whitney – #StarTrek Janice Rand. Details at http://t.co/6vO7vAMrRu pic.twitter.com/xps2otxnb8
— Star Trek (@StarTrek) May 4, 2015
“Grace experienced 35 years of sobriety through continuous fellowship with others and through God and Jesus. Over time, she became appreciative of her short time on Star Trek because she developed meaningful relationships with the fans, Leonard Nimoy and other cast members,” Dweck said in a statement, according to E! News.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
