Majel Barrett played three major roles throughout Star Trek, but she also lent her voice to multiple Trek series and movies. By virtue of marrying Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry from 1969-1991, she became Majel Barrett-Roddenberry and was known as the First Lady of Star Trek. Indeed, Majel's presence was so indelible, it's her voice that Trekkers often heard at the top of many shows show, introducing the second half of a given two-part episode with, "Last time on Star Trek..."
Barrett was part of Star Trek from its very beginnings in the mid-1960s as she appeared in the original series pilot titled "The Cage" opposite Jeffrey Hunter's Captain Christopher Pike and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock. NBC rejected "The Cage" as "too cerebral," but the network asked Roddenberry to create a second pilot. After Gene recast the series top-to-bottom, keeping only Nimoy's Vulcan, Star Trek was picked up by NBC and the rest is history. But Roddenberry, who was romantically involved with Barett, found a role for her on the retooled show and Majel joined the crew of the Starship Enterprise.
From TOS onward, Barrett became a vital part of Star Trek, lending her voice to Star Trek: The Animated Series, appearing in the original Star Trek movies, and guest-starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Majel Barrett is a true example of Star Trek royalty, and the following is every live-action role she played in the franchise, as well as how ubiquitous her voice has been to nearly every incarnation of Star Trek.
Number One
Barrett played Number One, the First Officer and Helm Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise in "The Cage." Number One was cool and cerebral, qualities that would be transferred to Spock when Star Trek was retooled. The footage of "The Cage" was repurposed into the season 1 two-part episode, "The Menagerie," which allowed Trekkers to meet the original Number One.
Number One has since been recast in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, where she is now played by Rebecca Romijn, and her true name was revealed as Una. Over 55 years later, the character Majel originated will be a key part of the upcoming series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Christine Chapel
With her dark hair dyed blonde, Majel Barrett formally joined the Starship Enterprise's crew as Nurse Christine Chapel, who worked in the Sickbay alongside Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForrest Kelley). Nurse Chapel also had romantic feelings for Mr. Spock, an affection the Vulcan could not reciprocate. After TOS ended, she became Dr. Christine Chapel and appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Lwaxana Troi
Beginning in 1987, a new generation of Trekkers met Majel Barrett-Roddenberry in the role of Betazed Ambassador Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wanting nothing more than for her daughter and herself to be advantageously married, the telepathic Lwaxana was a recurring character on TNG and she also appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Voice of Starship Computers
Barrett voiced Christine Chapel and several other characters on Star Trek: The Animated Series, but she is also the voice of the Enterprise-D's computer, as well as other Starfleet computers, in TNG, DS9, and Star Trek: Voyager. In addition, Majel provided the voice of the Enterprise's computer in the films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek Insurrection, Star Trek: Nemesis, and J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry actually completed her voiceover work for Star Trek 2009 just eight days before her death on December 18, 2008.