Online Encyclopedia
Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase April 1, 1930 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American actress. She is most famous for playing Yeoman Janice Rand on the first season (1966-1967) of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Grace started her entertainment career as a "girl singer" on Detroit's WJR radio. She soon opened in nightclubs for the likes of Billie Holliday, and toured with the Spike Jones Band. Grace debuted on Broadway in Top Banana. She has made guest appearances on over 30 different television series.
Grace reprised her role as Janice Rand, who had received a promotion to Chief Petty Officer (CPO), in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Grace appeared again in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), with another promotion, as Commander Janice Rand.
Her autobiography is entitled The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy (1998). The book delves into her hiring and firing from Star Trek: The Original Series and her fight and eventual victory over alcohol addiction.
Resources
- "Grace Lee Whitney." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Retrieved Aug. 26, 2004.