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Gates McFadden Remembers Doctor Crusher and TNG Early Days

By GustavoLeao / 08:22, 12 April 2006 / People

The latest issue of Star Trek Magazine, just out in the UK, features an exclusive interview with Star Trek The Next Generation actress Gates McFadden, who rarely seems to give Star Trek-related interviews these days, in which she talks about her role as Doctor Beverly Crusher in the TNG TV series and movies. Here are a few excerpts.

Asked about her audition for Star Trek: The Next Generation, Gates, better known before gaining her role as Doctor Crusher as a choreographer and for her theatre work, explained her agent was a huge fan of the original Star Trek, "So thank my agent!" she commented.

"I walked in and was told they had three parts, and I could play any part I wanted. ‘Okay', I asked, ‘Which one is the funniest?' Beverly Crusher. I swear to god. Seriously! So I go, ‘Okay, fine' and I look at the scene and it's a scene from The Naked Now and that's funny because she's kind of drunk and I thought, ‘This is funny.' So," she added mischievously, "that's about the only funny scene in seven seasons!"

Previously, McFadden has indicated that the plans to make Crusher Captain Jean-Luc Picard's love interest was one of the things that appealed to her. Her favourite character remains, still, "Jean-Luc," she says. "In real life we're all just friends, but after Picard..." McFadden hints to the audience that her character found no equal, although, she points out, "I know how to turn Data on, remember!"

To read the full article, get the new issue of Star Trek Magazine at your local newsstand.

8 comments Post New | Help

Crusher, The Loverly. | Report this post to moderator
By: Michael X. Maelstrom (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 17:52:15 on Apr 15, 2006

Ah Crusher, how I do love thee.

*fade to dream sequence*

A Woman with class, intelligence, caring and character. Perfection.

Most Memorable Quintessential Crusher Scene: Geordi waking to her warm lovely visage and the Klingon femmes grimmacing at her "repulsiveness".

I suspect the person that penned that scene had the same soft [sic] spot for Crusher as I did.

regards,
Michael.

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Michael X. Maelstrom, The Avante Guardian, Tag.

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M o n t r e a l, Q u e b e c, C a n a d a, E a r t h, S o m e t i m e s.

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RE: Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator
By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:42:03 on Apr 12, 2006

I'll second that! She did a great job as a judge on The Practice (i watch too much TV)

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A Class Act | Report this post to moderator
By: mustangman289 (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:58:13 on Apr 12, 2006

I always admired Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher. I missed her during the 2nd season. Was glad when she came back for seasons 3-7. The lady is a class act all the way.

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Frustrated!!!! | Report this post to moderator
By: boxstergurl (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:09:35 on Apr 12, 2006

I too was a hugh fan of Gates McFadden's Dr. Crusher and her character was completely overlooked always. She and Patrick worked well together and it would have been interesting to see where the two characters could have gone, provided they were allowed. The scene that airs in Nemesis with her and Picard is about 3 minutes longer on the DVD and it makes sense. I wish the PTB would have given her something more substantial to do. She gave such great performances in Sub Rosa, Remember Me and Attached but she got dealt a bad hand when it came to the movies. McFadden is a talent and its a shame that PTB didn't think so.

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RE: Frustrated!!!! by GustavoLeao @ 11:28:07 on Apr 12

Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator
By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 08:48:13 on Apr 12, 2006

OK, so a lot of the TNG characters were kinda forgotten once the "Picard/Data show" movies started, but I think McFadden was treated really poorly. I always felt bad for her. In First Contact, she was relegated to the sidelines when she really should have been the foil to Picard instead of Lily. Did we really need that character? I know Lily was supposed to be a stand-in for the uninitiated viewer, but it's not like this stuff is Shakespeare. Anyway, Dr. Crusher was one of my favorite TNG characters, and most of the scenes she did have were cut from the various films...not cool. Oh well, I still have my series DVDs.

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RE: Makes me sad. by hawke5150 @ 13:09:34 on Apr 12
RE: Makes me sad. by JediFonger @ 09:07:38 on Apr 12

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Crusher, The Loverly. | Report this post to moderator By: Michael X. Maelstrom (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 17:52:15 on Apr 15, 2006

RE: Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:42:03 on Apr 12, 2006

A Class Act | Report this post to moderator By: mustangman289 (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:58:13 on Apr 12, 2006

Frustrated!!!! | Report this post to moderator By: boxstergurl (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:09:35 on Apr 12, 2006

Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 08:48:13 on Apr 12, 2006

Crusher, The Loverly. | Report this post to moderator
By: Michael X. Maelstrom (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 17:52:15 on Apr 15, 2006

RE: Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator
By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 19:42:03 on Apr 12, 2006

A Class Act | Report this post to moderator
By: mustangman289 (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:58:13 on Apr 12, 2006

Frustrated!!!! | Report this post to moderator
By: boxstergurl (Odo's file, contact) @ 11:09:35 on Apr 12, 2006

Makes me sad. | Report this post to moderator
By: naranek (Odo's file, contact) @ 08:48:13 on Apr 12, 2006