Grace Lee Whitney, Better Known as Yeoman Janice Rand on Star Trek Has Died at 85, Rest in Peace

One of my childhood crushes has passed away, Rest in Peace Yeoman Janice Rand …

Actress Grace Lee Whitney, better known as Yeoman Janice Rand of Star Trek fame, has passed away at the age of 85. She died at her home on May 1st in Coarsegold, California. Whitney played the short skirted Star Trek officer on the original Star Trek, who had a crush on James T. Kirk; however, was unceremoniously let go after only 8 episodes. She was born Mary Ann Chase in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1930. She was adopted by the Whitney family, and as a teenager, began her career in entertainment as a singer and dancer. Whitney was a recovering alcoholic and drug addict and had reportedly spent the last 35 years of her life helping others with addiction problems, including volunteering at women’s correctional facilities.

April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015, Rest in Peace

Later, Grace Lee Whitney returned for the movie franchise starting with 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” with a promotion to chief petty officer, then in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” and she was finally promoted to lieutenant in 1991’s “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.”

An actress who appeared in just eight episodes of the original “Star Trek” — but made harrowing allegations in a memoir of sexual assault during her tenure — has died at 85.

Grace Lee Whitney — better known as Captain Kirk’s sometime love interest, Yeoman Janice Rand — died of natural causes at her home in California, her son Jonathan Dweck told the Associated Press.

“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 1998 book, Whitney said she had high hopes for the show. Born Mary Ann Chase in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1930, as NBC reported, she was raised by adoptive parents and in the middle of a divorce when she landed her part on a show she called her “Higher Power.”

Still, Whitney continued to appear on television, and returned as Rand in the first “Star Trek” film, later reprising her role in some of the sequels and TV series. She cited Nimoy as a crucial force in helping restart her career.

“The one person who really reached out to me after I was written out of ‘Star Trek’ was Leonard Nimoy,” she wrote. ” He was the only one who really knew how much I was hurting.”

Star Trek Season 1 – Episode 12, Miri

RIP Grace Lee Whitney, Star Trek’s Yeoman Janice Rand.

In her later years, Whitney worked as an advocate for people struggling with substance abuse. She credited her own recovery in some part to the Star Trek fans who supported her:

“When I told the fans I was an alcoholic, they all applauded. When I told them I had given myself to a higher power, they cheered again,” Ms. Whitney told The Bee’s Rick Bentley in 2013. “I’m in a great place because I’ve gone full circle.

Outside of Star Trek, the Ann Arbor, MI. native was in the Broadway musical Top Banana, and appeared in the 1954 movie version of the show. Her TV career included roles on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, The Real McCoys, The Outer Limits, Batman, and Bewitched. She also served as the inspiration for the Chicken of the Sea mermaid.