R.I.P. Maggie Thrett, stunning humanoid from Star Trek

By: H&I Staff     Posted: December 27, 2022, 11:35AM   

In just the sixth episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, actress Maggie Thrett made a name for herself by playing the head-turning humanoid in "Mudd's Women." 

Wearing an iconic green sparkling dress, Thrett's character Ruth was one of three women, along with Karen Steele's character of Eve and Susan Denberg's character of Magda, that had to rely on a ruby-like pill to retain their youthful looks. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the episode, which aired Oct. 13, 1966, was shot as the second installment of the series, and per Star Trek's website, it was one of three options to serve as Star Trek's second pilot episode.

Most know the actress and singer by her stage name, Maggie Thrett, but she was born Diane Pine in November of 1946. Growing up in New York City, she "attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan and as a model appeared on the cover of Harper's Bazaar," per THR.

Following the singles "Your Love Is Mine" and "Lucky Girl" in 1964, Pine's stage name was born a year later with the song "Soupy." It was produced by songwriter Bob Crewe, "best known for his work with The Four Seasons," according to THR. He felt the eventual stage name of Maggie Thrett was better fit "for the time."

1966 was a busy year for Thrett, who could be seen in an episode of Run for Your Life, and as an assassin named Wipeout in Out of Sight

Later that year, she appeared on Star Trek, and while it may be the role she's best known for, Thrett could be seen elsewhere on classic television throughout the 1960s. She appeared in The Wild Wild West, Cimarron StripI Dream of Jeannie, and starred in the 1968 film Three in the Attic alongside Yvette Mimieux, Christopher Jones and Judy Pace. 

Her career continued into the early 1970s, appearing on shows like McCloud, The Most Deadly Game, and Run, Joe, Run. She was also in the TV movie Lost Flight and the 1970 film Cover Me Babe

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Thrett left show business in 1974. 

The actress and singer passed away Dec. 18, 2022, and though her career was relatively short, she will continue have a lasting impact on one of the most memorable episodes from one of television's best sci-fi series of all time. 

Thrett was 76.