Grace Lee Whitney, who played Captain Kirk's assistant on the original "Star Trek" series, has died. She was 85.

Her son Jonathan Dweck said she died of natural causes Friday in Coarsegold, California, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Fresno.

Whitney played Yeoman Janice Rand in the first eight episodes before being written out of the series. In her autobiography, she wrote that she became an alcoholic before getting treatment and regaining her career with the help of Leonard Nimoy, who starred as Spock in the series.

She returned for the movie franchise, appearing in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," ''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," ''Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country."

Dweck said his mother dedicated the last 35 years of her life helping people with addiction problems, some of whom she met at "Star Trek" conventions.

"Over time, she became appreciative of her short time on 'Star Trek' because she developed meaningful relationships with the fans, Leonard Nimoy and other cast members," Dweck said.

Besides Jonathan, she was survived by her other son, Scott Dweck.

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