Celia Rose Gooding is trying to get closer to a recognizable version of Nyota Uhura

Coming aboard the USS Enterprise as a naive young cadet, Celia Rose Gooding's version of Nyota Uhura is vastly different from the confident lieutenant we saw when Nichelle Nichols played the part. That's to be expected, giving that Gooding is starting from scratch, building Uhura from the ground floor, so to speak.

In the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Uhura was nervous and uncertain about her future with Starfleet. Lt. Hemmer (Bruce Horvak) mentored her, but she lost his sound wisdom when he sacrificed himself to save his crewmates from being attacked by the baby Gorn inside of him. Season two brought us a stronger side of Uhura, and it was clear she was finding her wings.

In an interview with Awards Radar [via Trekmovie], Gooding talked about how Uhura's confidence is "really blossoming and blooming" so that this character is getting closer and closer to the one we saw on Star Trek: The Original Series and the following movies...with one really strong difference. This Uhura has already had more to do than Nichols' character did.

"She’s just taking up space, really owning her title and her role, and her confidence is really blossoming and blooming. I think, as the seasons go on, I’m trying to get closer and closer to a recognizable version of Uhura, really trying to emulate Nichelle Nichols’ Uhura. And I think season 3, we’re just getting closer and closer and closer, so it’s very exciting for me."

- Celia Rose Gooding

Already, Gooding has shown just what this Uhura is really capable of, and though it can't be Nichelle Nichols' version of Lt. Uhura that is really starting to make a name for herself in Starfleet, we're fortunate to have the character in the very capable hands of Celia Rose Gooding. At least now we'll be able to see what Uhura could have done had The Original Series been produced in a different time in history.