Star Trek’s Grace Lee Whitney Dies at the Age of 85

Star Trek actress Grace Lee Whitney has died at the age of 85.

The actress died on May 1st at her home in Coarsegold, California, her son told The Fresno Bee.

Grace Lee Whitney played loyal yeoman Janice Rand, the personal assistant who served Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) aboard the USS Enterprise during the first season of Star Trek.

The actress reprised her role as Janice Rand in four Star Trek films and in a 1996 episode of Star Trek: Voyager.

Grace Lee Whitney also appeared in two Billy Wilder films that starred Jack Lemmon: 1959’s Some Like It Hot (as one of the members of the all-girl band) and as Kiki the Cossack in 1963’s Irma la Douce.

She had roles on such TV shows as The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, The Real McCoys, The Outer Limits, The Rifleman, Batman (as King Tut’s pretty accomplice) and Bewitched.

Grace Lee Whitney also did a pilot episode for Police Story, a drama that never made it to series; it was written by Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, and that led her to being cast as Janice Rand.

Sonia Pantiss

Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.