When Academy Award-winning actress Whoopi Goldberg was growing up, she was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series. She looked up to Nichelle Nichols as a reminder that the future could hold a place for people of all races, creeds, and colors. Years later, Goldberg approached Gene Roddenberry and asked if he could find a place for her to contribute to his vision of a better tomorrow. Roddenberry was delighted with Goldberg's offer, thus the birth of Guinan.