Star Trek: What you might not know about Elaan of Troyius

France Nuyen on Star Trek

France Nuyen portrayed the title character in the Star Trek episode Elaan of Troyius which aired on December 20, 1968. This was episode 13 in season 3. Elaan was a rebellious warrior princess who caused mayhem on the Enterprise after Captain James Kirk (William Shatner) wipes a tear from her face and fell in love with her. When Elaan and other women from her planet cry their tears cause men to fall helplessly in love with them. Kirk eventually came to his senses, saved his ship from enemy attack and Elaan was sent on her way.

This episode of Star Trek has the distinction of having all 7 main characters on the bridge during the ending. Kirk, Spock, (Leonard Nemoy) McCoy, Scotty,(George Doohan), Uhura, Sulu (George Takai), and Chekov (William Koenig ) along with an unidentified female Ensign.

Elaan versus France

I thought Nuyen's character was beautiful and exotic looking but when I saw a picture of the actress that was taken a few years ago I was stunned. In older age her hair was blonde and she appeared to be a Caucasian woman and looked nothing like she did when she was on Star Trek. As Elaan she had a brown complexion and her hair was in thick dark braids the way black women wear them. I initially assumed she was African American, or biracial, or perhaps part Asian.

I thought about the big deal made when Shatner kissed Uhura (Nichel Nicoles) in the first interracial kiss on television. I wondered why nothing was said about this second woman of color who was smooching with the captain of the Enterprise and had her hands all over him. I found out that France's nationality was indeed of a combined ethnicity. Nuyen's mother was French and her father was Asian. She said her dad was Chinese although it has been reported that he was Vietnamese and this is how the actress identifies. She was the first Vietnamese to have a role on Star Trek.

France Nuyen's personal life

The actress was born France Nguyen Van-Nga on July 31, 1939 but in acting credits, her last name does not have the G. France was also a model and a Psychological counselor. In 1958 she had her first role as Liat, the daughter of Bloody Mary in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific.

Nuyen later co-starred with William Shatner in the off-Broadway production of The World of Suzie Wong. She was supposed to have the lead role in the film of the same name but was replaced by Nancy Kwan. Her other roles include The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961) Satan Never Sleeps and A Girl Named Tamiko both in 1962.

She was in Diamond Head in 1963, Dimension 5 (1966), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), and The Joy Luck Club (1993). In 1978, Nugen guest-starred in the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass". From 1986-1988 she portrayed Dr. Paulette Keim on St. Elsewhere Her last reported credit is in 2008 for the romantic drama The American Standards.

France Nuyen additional facts

The actress earned a master's degree in clinical psychology in 1986 and began a second career as a counselor for women in prison, and abused women and children. In 1989 she was the recipient of a Woman of the Year award for her work in psychology. In the 1958 Life cover story on Nuyen, she quotes a proverb that her character, a spy in the I Spy episode "Magic Mirror" had said: "I am Chinese. I am a stone. I go where I am kicked." Nuyen's second husband actor Robert Culp co-starred on I Spy with Bill Cosby and Frances was in four episodes of the series.