Gates McFadden
- Acting
- March 2, 1949 · Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA
Biography
Cheryl Gates McFadden (born March 2, 1949) is an American actress and choreographer. She is best known for portraying the character of Dr. Beverly Crusher in the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation. She attended Brandeis University earning B.A Cum Laude in Theater Arts. After graduating from Brandeis, she moved to Paris and studied theater with actor Jacques LeCoq. Before Star Trek: The Next Generation, she was mostly known as a choreographer, often working on Jim Henson productions including the films The Dark Crystal, for which she was a choreographer, Labyrinth, for which she served as Director of Choreography and Puppet Movement, and The Muppets Take Manhattan, in which she has a brief on-screen appearance. As a way of distinguishing her acting work from her choreography, she is usually credited as "Gates McFadden" as an actress and "Cheryl McFadden" as a choreographer. She appeared briefly in the Woody Allen film Stardust Memories, and in The Hunt for Red October as Jack Ryan's wife Cathy, though most of her scenes were cut in post-production. In 1987, McFadden was cast as Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Crusher character was slated to be Captain Jean-Luc Picard's love interest, and this aspect of the character is what attracted McFadden to the role. Another important aspect of the character was being a widow balancing motherhood and a career. McFadden left after the first season, in part because series executive producer Gene Roddenberry was never enthusiastic about casting McFadden in the first place. Roddenberry also wanted to give the role of ship's doctor to actress Diana Muldaur, with whom he had worked on the original Star Trek series and other occasions. Muldaur's character, Dr. Katherine Pulaski, proved very unpopular with fans and left the show after the second season. McFadden was approached to return for the third season. At first she was hesitant, but after a phone call from co-star Patrick Stewart, McFadden was persuaded to reprise her role.
Known for
Filmography
- The Sixty Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World · Self
- The Center Seat II: 60 Years of Star Trek · Narrator
- X-Men '97 · Mother Askani (Voice)
- Masters of the Universe: Revolution · Queen Marlena (Voice)
- Star Trek: very Short Treks · Dr. Crusher (Voice)
- Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- The Shuttlepod Show · Self
- The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek · Self / Narrator, Executive producer
- Star Trek: Prodigy · Dr. Beverly Crusher (Voice), Beverly Crusher (Voice)
- Hexengeddon: Witches vs. the World · Madame Hexxina
- Star Trek: Picard · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars · Self & Narrator
- The Ready Room · Self
- A Neighbor's Deception · Dr. Constance Abrams
- 50 Years of Star Trek · Self
- Mattresside · Nurse
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things... · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- Chaos on the Bridge · Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- The Captains Close Up · Self
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds · Dr. Beverly Crusher (archive footage)
- Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation · Self
- Franklin & Bash · Judge Mallory Jacobs
- Make the Yuletide Gay · Martha Stanford
- Dirty · Wife
- NCIS · Mrs. Belmont
- Star Trek: Nemesis · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- The Division · Mrs. Petersen
- Family Guy · Gates McFadden (Voice)
- Star Trek: Insurrection · Doctor Beverly Crusher
- The Practice · Judge Emily Harrison
- Crowned and Dangerous · Patrice Baxter
- Star Trek: First Contact · Commander Beverly Crusher
- Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond · Self
- Marker · Kimba
- Star Trek: Generations · Dr. Beverly Crusher
- Party of Five · Greer Erikson
- Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation · Self
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes · Beverly Crusher
- Mad About You · Allison Rourke
- Star Trek: Federation Science
- Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special · Self
- Taking Care of Business · Diane Connors
- Dream On · Ina Dreikoff
- The Hunt for Red October · Caroline Ryan
- Star Trek: The Next Generation · Beverly Crusher, Director
- Inside the Labyrinth · Self
- The Wizard
- The Cosby Show
- The Muppets Take Manhattan · Mr. Price's Secretary
- Saturday Night Live · Woman in audience kissed by Bill Murray (uncredited)
- Make-Up Man: The Michael Westmore Documentary · Self