Zoe Saldaña pays tribute to Nichelle Nichols after following in her footsteps as Uhura on Star Trek

Zoe Saldaña is paying tribute to the Uhura who came before her on Star Trek, Nichelle Nichols.

On Monday, Saldaña joined the host of celebrities mourning the loss of Nichols when she posted a gallery of photos on Instagram celebrating the late actor's life and work. "I'm saddened to learn of Nichelle Nichols' passing," Saldaña writes. "We have lost a true star- a unique artist who was ahead of her time always. She's an icon, an activist and most importantly an amazing woman- who blazed a trail that has shown so many how to see women of color in a different light. Her strive for equality was unwavering."

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Nichols played Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series in the '60s, and blazed a trail as one of the first Black women to play a major role on primetime television. She also had the first interracial kiss on American television, when her character famously locked lips with white leading man William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk. Saldaña followed in Nichols footsteps when she took over the role in J.J. Abrams' reboot movie in 2009.

In the caption, Saldaña calls meeting Nichols a "very special moment" in her life, and continues to describe how Nichols helped ease her anxiety about playing the character Nichols originated. "I knew I had big shoes to fill when I was chosen to play Uhura," she notes, "and Nichelle made me feel safe, told me to play her with all the confidence in the world."

"My hope is that we continue to keep her memory alive by celebrating her amazing body of work, and by spreading the message of peace and equality amongst all people. She lived a long, impactful life and not only prospered, but helped so many others prosper too."

She concludes, "It'll be hard to forget what she said and hard to forget what she did, and it will certainly be impossible to forget how she made us feel. REST IN POWER QUEEN NICHELLE"

Nichols died on Sunday at age 89. Her son Kyle Johnson confirmed the news on her official Instagram account.

"I regret to inform you that a great light in the firmament no longer shines for us as it has for so many years," Johnson wrote. "Last night, my mother, Nichelle Nichols, succumbed to natural causes and passed away. Her light however, like the ancient galaxies now being seen for the first time, will remain for us and future generations to enjoy, learn from, and draw inspiration."

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