Y&R's Chuck Pratt: Nichelle Nichols is brushstroke of elegance we needed

Star Trek alum Nichelle Nichols will be making her two-day The Young and the Restless appearance next month, and both the show's head writer and a GC staple have rave reviews.

Look for Neil Winters' past on The Young and the Restless to get a lot clearer, because the character's mother, Lucinda, is headed to Genoa City.

Star Trek alum Nichelle Nichols (ex-Lt. Uhura) will step into the role of Neil's estranged mother for a two-day stint beginning on Thursday, September 1 -- the same day the soap opera celebrates its 11,000th episode. And according to Soap Opera Digest, Lucinda will come with an explanation as to why she's been absent from her son's life all these years.

"As a long time Star Trek fan, and growing up in Hollywood, my father was a friend of [the show's creator] Gene Roddenberry," Y&R executive producer/head writer shared with SOD. "I cannot even describe my utter joy and excitement to get the chance to write for and work with the talented Nichelle. She slipped into the role with sublime grace and ease, and just that brushstroke of elegance we needed. What fun, and what a thrill, for all of us at Y&R."

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MORE 11,000th EPISODE NEWS • Y&R celebrates 11,000th episode with emotional flashback episodes• Memories: Blast-from-the-past Y&R photo gallery• CBS releases stunning cast photo to fete 11,000th episodeAdds Neil's portrayer, Kristoff St. John: "I've met Nichelle two times before and I was absolutely enthralled that I was meeting Lt. Uhura. This time, when we met, I was thrilled to be working with such an iconic actress, just by default of being part of the 60s era, when there were very few African American leads, male and female, on television. I felt very honored to share these scenes with Nichelle, knowing her body of work."

How much are you looking forward to Nichol's appearance as Lucinda? What explanation do you think the character has for disappearing from Neil's life? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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Edited by SC Desk