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'{{Short description|American actress and singer (1930–2015)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Grace Lee Whitney | image = Grace lee whitney 1980.jpg | caption = Grace Lee Whitney at a ''[[Star Trek]]'' convention (circa 1980) | birthname = Mary Ann Chase | birth_date = {{birth date|mf=yes|1930|04|01}} | birth_place = [[Ann Arbor, Michigan]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|2015|05|01|1930|04|01}} | death_place = [[Coarsegold, California]], U.S. | yearsactive = 1947–2007 | occupation = Actress, singer | spouse = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Sydney Stevan Dweck<br/>|1954|1966|end=div}}|{{marriage|Jack Dale<br/>|1970|1991|reason=div.}}}} | children = 2 }} '''Grace Lee Whitney''' (born '''Mary Ann Chase'''; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She played [[Janice Rand]] on the original ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' television series and subsequent ''Star Trek'' films.<ref name="trekbook"/><ref name="LATimes"/> ==Early life== Whitney was born on April 1, 1930, in Ann Arbor, Michigan and was adopted by the Whitney family, who changed her name to Grace Elaine. The family moved to Detroit where Whitney attended school. She started her entertainment career as a "girl singer" on Detroit's [[WJR]] (“from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building”) radio at age 14. After she left home, she began to call herself Lee Whitney, eventually becoming known as Grace Lee Whitney. In her late teens, she moved to Chicago, where she opened in nightclubs for [[Billie Holiday]] and [[Buddy Rich]], and toured with the [[Spike Jones]] and [[Fred Waring]] bands.<ref name="trekbook"/><ref>'101 Things You Didn't Know about Ann Arbor, Michigan : (but Are about to Find Out)' | Published: 13 October, 2010 | Author: Horace Martin Woodhouse | URL: https://archive.org/details/101thingsyoudidn0000hora/page/n47/mode/2up?q=grace+lee+whitney (Internet Archive)</ref> During this time she trained to be a nurse for a year. ==Early roles== ===Radio=== Whitney was the original [[Chicken of the Sea]] mermaid created in 1952. Chicken of the Sea has used the mermaid as its [[mascot]] to the present.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All About Catalina |url=https://chickenofthesea.com/blog/all-about-catalina/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Chicken of the Sea |language=en-US}}</ref> She came to play the iconic mermaid character while appearing on [[Edgar Bergen|The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show]] on CBS Radio. The show was broadcast in a front of a live studio audience with Whitney in costume and singing the tuna jingle.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archer |first=Tucker |date=2021-01-22 |title=Star Trek Actress Was the Original Model for Chicken of the Sea Tuna |url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/star-trek/grace-lee-whitney-chicken-sea-mermaid/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Heavy.com |language=en-US}}</ref> ===Theater=== Whitney debuted at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]] on Broadway in ''[[Top Banana (musical)|Top Banana]]'', with [[Phil Silvers]] and [[Kaye Ballard]] in 1952, playing Miss Holland. Here she met her future husband, Sydney Stevan Dweck, who was a freelance drummer and percussionist and bandmember for the show.{{cn|date=March 2024}} Following the successful run of the show in New York, she joined the cast in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], where she recreated the role in the 1954 [[musical film]] of the same name.<ref name=tcm>Passafiume, Andrea.[http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/253213%7C0/Top-Banana.html "'Top Banana' Background of Musical and Film"] tcm.com, accessed March 9, 2024</ref> She was a chorus girl in the off-Broadway musicals ''Great to be Alive!'' (1953),'' and [[The Pajama Game]]'' (1956.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=When They Trod the Boards: "Star Trek" Edition |url=https://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/03/02/when-they-trods-boards-star-trek-edition |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=The New York Public Library |language=en}}</ref> In 1960, while in Los Angeles, Whitney auditioned for and was cast in the starring role of Lucy Brown in the first national tour of ''[[The Threepenny Opera]]'', taking over the role from [[Bea Arthur]], who had played the part in New York off-Broadway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Threepenny Opera (1st National Tour, 1960) {{!}} Ovrtur |url=https://ovrtur.com/production/2899618 |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=ovrtur.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Beatrice Arthur – Broadway Cast & Staff {{!}} IBDB|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/beatrice-arthur-66769|access-date=January 13, 2022|website=IBDB|archive-date=January 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113173721/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/beatrice-arthur-66769|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Film=== Her movie debut was in ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' (1953) in an uncredited role. Whitney was cast as a member of the all-female band in [[Billy Wilder]]'s comedy ''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' (1959). She shared several scenes with [[Jack Lemmon]], [[Tony Curtis]], and [[Marilyn Monroe]], including the "upper berth" sequence. She had uncredited roles in ''[[The Naked and the Dead (film)|The Naked and the Dead]]'' (1958), and ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]'' (1961). Whitney was credited as Tracey Phillips in the drama ''A Public Affair'' (1962), and as Texas Rose in the Western ''[[Temple Houston (TV series)|The Man from Galveston]]'' (1963). [[Billy Wilder]] then gave her the featured role of Kiki the Cossack in ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' (1963). ===Television=== Whitney made more than 100 television appearances following her television dramatic debut in ''[[Cowboy G-Men]]'' in 1953 (credited as Ruth Whitney.)<ref>{{Citation |last=Browne |first=Reg |title=Hangfire |date=1953-03-21 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0549961/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_i78 |access-date=2024-03-13 |series=Cowboy G-Men |others=Russell Hayden, Jackie Coogan, Phil Arnold}}</ref> She appeared on episodes of ''[[The Real McCoys]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[The Islanders (TV series)|The Islanders]]'', ''[[Hennesey]]'', ''[[The Roaring 20s (TV series)|The Roaring 20s]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]'', ''[[The Rifleman]]'', ''[[77 Sunset Strip]]'', ''[[Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1958 TV series)|Mike Hammer]]'', ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'', ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'', and ''[[Hawaiian Eye]]''. Other television appearances included an episode of ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'', "[[Controlled Experiment]]", co-starring [[Barry Morse]] and [[Carroll O'Connor]], ''[[Mannix]]'', ''[[Death Valley Days]]'', ''[[The Big Valley]]'', and ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]''. In 1962, she appeared in the episode of ''[[The Rifleman]]'' entitled "The Tin Horn". In 1964, she played a character Babs Livingston on ''[[Bewitched]]'' in the episode "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog".<ref name="trekbook"/> During the 1950s and early 1960s, Whitney was a frequent semiregular on over 80 live television shows, including ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'' hosted by [[Groucho Marx]] in 1953, ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'', ''The Jimmy Durante Show'', and ''[[The Ernie Kovacs Show]]'', largely appearing in gag sketches.<ref name="trekbook"/> From 1957 to 1958, she appeared as a "[[Vanna White|Vanna]]-type adornment" on the popular daytime show ''[[Queen for a Day]]''.<ref name="trekbook"/> ==''Star Trek''== [[File:Grace Lee Whitney Star Trek 1966.JPG|thumb|right|Grace Lee Whitney as Yeoman Janice Rand in ''Star Trek'' (1966)]] Whitney first met [[Gene Roddenberry]] when she was cast as the female lead "Sgt. Lilly Monroe" in Roddenberry's TV Pilot ''Police Story'' which was filmed just weeks after the second ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' pilot in 1965. Both shows shared many of the same crew including associate producer [[Robert H. Justman]] and executive in charge of production [[Herbert F. Solow]] and eventual ''Star Trek'' co-star [[DeForest Kelley]].<ref>'Police Story (TV Movie) | URL: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451863/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_110_wr (Internet Movie Database)</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The POLICE STORY Story |url=https://www.facttrek.com/blog/policestory |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=FACT TREK |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Police Story'' was not picked up but was screened as a TV movie in 1967 along with several other failed pilots; by this time ''Star Trek'' was in its [[Star Trek: The Original Series (season 2)|second season]]. The Network again chose not to pick up ''Police Story''. Roddenberry cast Whitney in ''Star Trek'' as Yeoman [[Janice Rand]], the personal assistant to Captain [[James T. Kirk]]. While the stars of the show were [[William Shatner]] (Captain Kirk) and [[Leonard Nimoy]] (Mr. Spock), Whitney shared the same billing as DeForest Kelley, who played [[Dr. McCoy]]. On September 1, 1966, one week before the first episode screened on [[NBC]], Whitney, Shatner, and Nimoy were interviewed by [[Barbara Walters]] on ''[[The Today Show]]'' where they discussed the new show.<ref>'Tales of Lost TV: Star Trek Cast on the Today Show (1966)' | Date: 21 September, 2017 | Author: Robert Jay | URL: https://www.tvobscurities.com/2017/09/tales-of-lost-tv-star-trek-cast-today-show-1966/ | Television Obscurities (Accessed 13 March, 2024)</ref><ref>The Today Show, Episode 1 September 1966 | URL: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2013135/?ref_=nm_flmg_eps_tt_1 | IMDB Internet Database</ref> The first promotional photographs for ''Star Trek'' also featured Shatner, Nimoy, and Whitney - separately and together - with pre-production costumes for all, and an early version of the "beehive" hairstyle that Whitney's character had in the filmed episodes.<ref>'The Sixties Special' | Publication: TV ZONE SPECIAL #3 | Date: November 1991 | Pages: 16-17 | Publisher: Irwin Allen Productions | URL: https://archive.org/details/TV_Zone_Special_03_1991_The_sixties_NS2011/page/n15/mode/2up?q=grace+lee+whitney (Accessed 17 March 2024)</ref> Whitney appeared in eight of the first 15 episodes, after which she was released from contract. She said that, while still under contract, she was [[Sexual assault|sexually assaulted]] by an executive associated with the series.<ref name="wapo150504"/> Later, in a public interview, she stated that [[Leonard Nimoy]] had been her main source of support during that time. She went into more details about the assault in her book ''The Longest Trek'', but refused to name the executive, saying in the book, "This is my story, not his."<ref name="trekbook"/> ==After ''Star Trek''== In between TV guest spots Whitney returned to singing and in 1968 opened her own dress design firm, modelling her own designs while performing.<ref>{{Cite book |last= |url=http://archive.org/details/hollywood-studio-magazine-1968-02 |title=Hollywood Studio Magazine (February 1968) |date= |publisher=San Fernando Valley Pub. Co. |others=Media History Digital Library}}</ref> She starred in the 1968 ''[[List of Walt Disney anthology television series episodes (seasons 1–29)|Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color]]'' 2-part TV episode "Way Down Cellar."<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=Way Down Cellar (1968 Family, Adv, Mys) |date=1968-01-07 |url=http://archive.org/details/way-down-cellar-1968-family-adventure-mystery |access-date=2024-03-13 |publisher=WaltDisney Productions, WaltDisneyPresents / Distribution: National Broadcasting Company (NBC 1968 USA TV)}}</ref> After marrying her second husband in 1970 Whitney took a break from acting to work on her singing career while she and her new husband lived at their home in [[San Fernando Valley]] raising the children along with four [[Great Dane]] dogs.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Trimble|first1=Bjo|pages=169-170|title=On the good ship Enterprise : my 15 years with Star Trek|publisher=Norfolk : Donning|edition=1|year=1982 |isbn=0898652537}}</ref> It was during this time that Whitney fought an increasing battle with [[alcoholism]], attributing having been let go from ''Star Trek'' as a trigger. She had been struggling with alcoholism, drugs, and promiscuity since she was a teenager (although she claimed to have never drunk on the ''Star Trek'' set) but it was not until after she left the show that her addictions spiraled. In a 2011 interview with StarTrek.com, Whitney recounted her battle with alcohol and [[drug abuse]] during the 1970s and the courage and strength she displayed to eventually overcome those addictions. "... And I just about killed myself over that reject [being fired from ''Star Trek''.] And when I would go on interviews, I would smell of alcohol. I was very Lindsay Lohan-ish, very Charlie Sheen. I was lost. I was lost and I began to bottom out. It took me about 10 years after getting written out to come to my senses, when I bottomed out."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Grace Lee Whitney on Trek, Life - Part 2 |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/grace-lee-whitney-on-trek-life-2 |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=www.startrek.com |language=en}}</ref> In Part 1 of the same 2011 interview Whitney provided some subsequent clarity and context as to her firing from the show where she said: "...Well, I had the sexual assault from someone at [[Desilu]], which I found out later was done by a lot of producers (during that era). It was before the sexual assault law came into being. I was one of the ones that was a victim. I was fired from the show, but I found later that it was in the works before the assault. I’d been blaming the assault for most of my life, until about 30 years ago, when I got sober."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Grace Lee Whitney on Trek, Life - Part I |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/grace-lee-whitney-on-trek-life-part-i |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=www.startrek.com |language=en}}</ref> ===Return to ''Star Trek'' franchise=== [[File:Grace lee whitney sfcon.jpg|alt=|thumb|Whitney posing with a ''Star Trek'' shuttlecraft prop recreation at a science-fiction convention, 1975]] Whitney returned to the ''Star Trek'' franchise in the mid-1970s after [[DeForest Kelley]] saw Whitney in the unemployment line and told her that fans had been asking for her at [[Star Trek convention|fan conventions]] which were starting to become regular and numerous in the United States.<ref name="rioux2005"/> She attended her first convention, "Equicon-76", in 1976 and was warmly received. She went on to attend ''Star Trek'' and science-fiction fan conventions regularly during the 1970s and 1980s, often performing with her band Star.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Star Trek Convention - Fanlore |url=https://fanlore.org/wiki/American_Star_Trek_Convention |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=fanlore.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-04 |title=Toronto Star Trek '76 |url=https://torontostartrek76.ca/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=Toronto Star Trek '76 |language=en}}</ref><ref>https://archive.org/details/CompleteStarlog/Starlog%20%23%20006/page/14/mode/2up?q=%22grace+lee+whitney%22</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/locus210v11n03197804 |title=Locus #210 v11n03 [1978-04] |date=}}</ref> In the late 1970s there were talks of ''Star Trek'' returning as a new television series, as ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]''. The new series was officially announced on June 10, 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Making of Star Trek: Phase II — Forgotten Trek |url=https://forgottentrek.com/phase-2/the-making-of-star-trek-phase-2/ |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=forgottentrek.com}}</ref> Coincidentally, having read the back cover of [[Susan Sackett]]'s ''Letters to Star Trek'' book and discovering that one of the [[frequently asked questions]] sent into the production team was "Whatever happened to Grace Lee Whitney?", Whitney herself got in touch with Sackett and was invited along to meet with Roddenberry at his office in [[Paramount Global|Paramount Studios]]. He was excited and happy to see her, and immediately offered to bring back the character for ''Phase II'', describing the removal of Rand from ''The Original Series'' as his greatest mistake and blaming it on NBC executives.{{sfn |Whitney|Denney |1998 |pp=130–131}} [[Paramount Pictures]] changed their minds about the TV series and instead decided on ''Star Trek'' returning as a motion picture. ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' went into production in 1978 and was released in 1979. Whitney reprised her role as Janice Rand, with a promotion to [[chief petty officer]] and in the position of Transporter Chief. She also made [[Cameo appearance]]s in subsequent films, ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' (1984), and ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' (1986). In ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]'' (1991), she was cast as the Communications Officer of the USS Excelsior with another promotion, as Lieutenant Commander Janice Rand. Five years later, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise, she returned in the 1996 ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' episode "[[Flashback (Star Trek: Voyager)|Flashback]]", along with [[George Takei]]. As well as these canonical appearances, Whitney reprised her role in two fan-created ''Star Trek'' productions: "[[Star Trek: New Voyages]]" and "[[Star Trek: Of Gods and Men]]". "New Voyages" premiered on August 24, 2007, while "Of Gods and Men" made its debut in late 2007. The fifth episode of ''[[Star Trek Continues]]'', "[[Divided We Stand (Star Trek Continues)|Divided We Stand]]" (released September 26, 2015), was dedicated to her "lovely and endearing spirit". Her last film appearance (and as a ''Star Trek'' character) was in the [[fan fiction]] film ''[[Star Trek: Of Gods and Men|Of Gods and Men]]'' in 2007. Her final screen appearance was in the [[William Shatner]] documentary ''[[The Captains (film)|The Captains]]'' in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1946421/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_1|title = The Captains (2011)|publisher=IMDb}}</ref> ==Later TV roles== Whitney's roles in the 1970s included ''[[The Bold Ones]]'', ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]'', and ''[[Hart to Hart]]''. In 1983, she had a small part in the television film ''[[The Kid with the 200 I.Q.]]'', with [[Gary Coleman]]. Her last TV guest appearance was in a 1998 episode of ''[[Diagnosis: Murder]]'', which reunited her with her ''Star Trek'' colleagues [[George Takei]], [[Walter Koenig]], and [[Majel Barrett]]. ==Music== [[File:Grace Lee Whitney 1976.jpg|thumb|Whitney at the first Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Awards, December 5, 1976]] In the 1960s and 1970s, she sang with a number of orchestras and bands, including the Keith Williams Orchestra. Later, she concentrated on jazz/pop vocalizing while fronting for the band Star. With acting taking a back step in the mid 1970s, she performed with her band at Disneyland, barmitvahs, private parties, political events, schools, and at Sci Fi conventions throughout the remainder of the 1970s, while raising her children.<ref>'The best of Trek : from the magazine for Star Trek fans' | Published: 1978 | Authors: Walter Irwin (Editor), G.B. Love (Editor) | ISBN: 978-0451450173 | Pages 177-179</ref> In the mid-1970s she wrote a number of ''Star Trek''-related songs with her second husband, Jack Dale. A 45-rpm record was released in 1976 with the songs "Disco Trekin’" (A side) and "Star Child" (B side).<ref>Grace Lee Whitney & Star (17) – Disco Trekin' | url: https://www.discogs.com/release/2067125-Grace-Lee-Whitney-Star-Disco-Trekin (Discogs.com)</ref> She recorded such tunes as "Charlie X", "Miri", "Enemy Within", and "[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']]". Many of these songs were released in the 1990s on [[Compact Cassette|cassette tape]]: ''Light at the End of the Tunnel'' in 1996 and ''Yeoman Rand Sings!'' in 1999.{{Citation needed|date=May 2015}} ==Autobiography== Whitney's autobiography, ''The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy'', was released in 1998 ({{ISBN|1-884956-05-X}}). Along with her hiring and firing from ''Star Trek'', the book recounts her work as the first [[Chicken of the Sea]] mermaid and her struggles with and eventual recovery from [[Alcoholism|alcohol]] and [[substance abuse]].{{sfn|Whitney|Denney|1998|p=36}} ==Personal life and death== Whitney had two sons to her first husband, Scott and Jonathan Dweck.<ref name="nytimes"/> She divorced her first husband in 1966 and married her second husband in 1970. In her autobiography she admitted she had relationships with [[Buzz Aldren]] and [[Harlan Ellison]] while still legally married to her second husband. Whitney got involved in alcohol, drugs and immoral behavior from the age of 13 and struggled with these addictions throughout her career and life. During the filming of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' she attempted to get sober but "switched addictions from booze to marijuana." After the film was released in 1980 she was shocked to see how old she looked in the film, that she resumed drinking and, by her own words, "bottomed out." With the help of the 12-step program she became sober in 1981 and a devout Christian.<ref>'Fall and Rise of Grace Lee Whitney' | Publication: The Roanoke Times, Metro Edition - Page 2 | Date: 3 May, 1994 | Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. | URL: https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1994/rt9405/940503/05040003.htm | Accessed 14 March 2024</ref> "...And bottoming out means I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and I had to get help. What happened was that I was down on [[Skid Row]], on 6th and Main in L.A., looking for my lower companions to get some kind of help, when I was 12-stepped down there by a man from the [[Midnight Mission]] named Clancy, who is a guru in the [[Twelve-step program|12-step program]]. His sponsee helped me get to my first 12-step meeting where God absolutely delivered me. There was no question. I could not not drink. I was using a lot of drugs from [[Max Jacobson|Dr. Feelgood]]. A lot of actors used the amphetamines from Dr. Feelgood to stay skinny, to function. It’s just insidious. Once you get into the drinking and using, it’s almost impossible to get out without the grace of God, which is what I give my credit to. [[Leonard Nimoy]] (who is also a recovering alcoholic) was so moved that he (later) wrote the forward to my book. But that’s how I began my recovery and my trek back to the studio to make amends, to do everything I’ve had to do there."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Grace Lee Whitney on Trek, Life - Part 2 |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/grace-lee-whitney-on-trek-life-2 |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=www.startrek.com |language=en}}</ref> In a 1995 issue of ''[[TV Guide]]'' Whitney provided some further insights into her recovery: "...I committed my life to Jesus and began to journey back. The high I looked for in drugs and alcohol I eventually found in Jesus Christ." "...Many people think they can be totally recovered from addictions if they have Jesus Christ. They think that is going to make them new and take away their addictions. I really do not think that is possible. I think God has taken away my alcoholism today. He has taken away my addictions today. But I have to start new every day. I have to start the 12 steps every day. I have to commit my life to him every day."<ref>'Star Trek Four Generations of Stars, Stories, and Strange New Worlds' | Author: Laura Jamison | Year: 1995 | Pages: 26-28 | Publication: TV Guide | URL: https://archive.org/details/startrekfourgene00tvgu/page/26/mode/2up?q=grace+lee+whitney (Accessed 17 March, 2024)</ref> Whitney dedicated the remainder of her life to helping others overcome addiction and was a leading worker with others in [[Alcoholics Anonymous]]. She has spoken in churches, organizations, prisons, and media conventions. After she divorced from her second husband in 1991, she moved to Coarsegold, California in 1993 to be close to Jonathan, also a Christian, and she "continued her fellowship work in Fresno and Madera counties."<ref name="Bee150503"/><ref>'The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy' Book Review | URL: http://pointingnorth.com/articles1/gracebook.htm | Pointing North (Accessed 14 March 2024)</ref> Whitney died of natural causes at her home in Coarsegold on May 1, 2015, at age 85.<ref name=APviaABC/> Jonathan Dweck said his mother wanted to be known more as a survivor of addiction than as a ''Star Trek'' cast member.<ref name="LATimes"/> ==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- |1952|| ''[[Cowboy G-Men]]'' (TV series) || Saloon girl || Episode "Hangfire" (as Ruth Whitney) |- |1953|| ''[[House of Wax (1953 film)|House of Wax]]'' || Can-Can Dancer || Uncredited (as Ruth Whitney) |- |1954|| ''[[Top Banana (film)|Top Banana]]'' || Miss Holland || Uncredited |- |1958|| ''[[The Naked and the Dead (film)|The Naked and the Dead]]'' || Girl in Dream Sequence || Uncredited |- |1958|| ''[[The Walter Winchell File]]'' || Midge || Episode: "Night People" (as Lee Whitney) |- |1958|| ''[[The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp]]'' || Saloon girl || Episode "Kill The Editor" (as Ruth Whitney) |- |1959|| ''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' || Rosella || Uncredited |- |1961|| ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]'' || Louise Talbot|| Episode "The Good & The Bad" |- |1961|| ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]'' || Queenie's 'Broad' in Black Dress || Uncredited |- |1962|| ''A Public Affair'' || Tracey Phillips || |- |1962|| [[The Rifleman|''The Rifleman'']] || |Rose || Season 4 Episode 24 "Tinhorn" |- |1963|| ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'' || Nina || Season 1 Episode 26 "Echo of Another Day" |- |1963|| ''[[Critic's Choice (film)|Critic's Choice]]'' || Minor role || |- |1963|| ''[[Temple Houston (TV series)|The Man from Galveston]]'' || Texas Rose || TV series, 1 episode |- |1963|| ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' || Kiki the Cossack || |- |1964|| ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'' || Carla Duveen || Episode "[[Controlled Experiment]]" (Only comedy episode of ''The Outer Limits'') |- |1966|| ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]'' || Yeoman [[Janice Rand]] || TV series, 8 episodes |- |1967 |''Batman'' |Neila |Episodes "King Tut's Coup" and "Batman's Waterloo" |- |1967|| ''[[Rango (TV series)|Rango]]'' || Girl || Episode "My Teepee Runneth Over" |- |1968|| ''[[List of Walt Disney anthology television series episodes (seasons 1–29)|Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color]]'' || Velma || "Way Down Cellar" (2-part episode) |- |1968|| ''[[Cimarron Strip]]'' || Katie || Episode "Knife in the Darkness" |- |1979|| ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' || rowspan="7"|Janice Rand || Transporter Operator |- |1984|| ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'' || Woman in Cafeteria |- |1986|| ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]'' || Starfleet Communications Officer |- |1991|| ''[[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country]]'' || Excelsior Communications Officer |- |1996|| ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' || TV series, 1 episode |- |2007|| ''[[Star Trek: New Voyages]]'' || [[web series]], 1 episode |- |2007|| ''[[Star Trek: Of Gods and Men]]'' || (final film role) |- |2009|| ''Bring Back... Star Trek'' || Self || BBC TV documentary series |} ==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs=<ref name="trekbook">{{cite book|last1=Whitney|first1=Grace Lee|last2=Denney|first2=Jim|pages=35–36, 39, 51|title=The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy|publisher=Linden Publishing|edition=1|year=1998 |isbn=1884956033}}</ref> <ref name=APviaABC>{{cite news|author=Staff|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/grace-lee-whitney-appeared-star-trek-series-dies-30779775|title=''Star Trek'' Actress Grace Lee Whitney Dies at 85|agency=[[Associated Press]]|publisher=[[ABC News]]|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=May 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504211532/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/grace-lee-whitney-appeared-star-trek-series-dies-30779775|archive-date=May 4, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="Bee150503">{{cite news|author=Staff |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/03/4508343_grace-lee-whitney-original-star.html |title=Grace Lee Whitney, original ''Star Trek'' cast member, dies in Coarsegold |newspaper=[[The Fresno Bee]] |date=May 3, 2015 |access-date=May 3, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507225234/http://www.fresnobee.com/2015/05/03/4508343_grace-lee-whitney-original-star.html |archive-date=May 7, 2015 }}</ref> <ref name="LATimes">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-grace-lee-whitney-20150505-story.html|title='Star Trek' actress Grace Lee Whitney dies at 85|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref> <ref name="wapo150504">{{cite news|first=Justin Wm.|last=Moyer|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|title=Actress Grace Lee Whitney who alleged sexual assault by TV executive, dead at 85|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/04/star-trek-actress-grace-lee-whitney-who-alleged-sexual-assault-by-tv-executive-dead-at-85|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref name="rioux2005">{{cite book|last=Rioux|first=Terry Lee|title=From sawdust to stardust: the biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5JUOIKG2XcwC&q=trekkie+1975&pg=PA218|year=2005|publisher=Simon and Schuster|page=218|isbn=0-7434-5762-5}}</ref><ref name="nytimes">{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/05/movies/grace-lee-whitney-yeoman-janice-rand-on-star-trek-dies-at-85.html?hpw&rref=obituaries&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-welll|title=Grace Lee Whitney, Yeoman Janice Rand on 'Star Trek', Dies at 85|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref>}} ==External links== {{Commons}} * {{IMDb name}} * {{AllMovie name}} {{Star Trek: The Original Series}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Michigan|Los Angeles|Theatre|Music|Film|Television}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitney, Grace Lee}} [[Category:1930 births]] [[Category:2015 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American actresses]] [[Category:20th-century American women writers]] [[Category:Actors from Ann Arbor, Michigan]] [[Category:Actresses from Michigan]] [[Category:American adoptees]] [[Category:American film actresses]] [[Category:20th-century American memoirists]] [[Category:American musical theatre actresses]] [[Category:American television actresses]] [[Category:People from Coarsegold, California]] [[Category:20th-century American singers]] [[Category:20th-century American women singers]] [[Category:American women memoirists]] [[Category:21st-century American women]]'