Profile of Gates McFadden on Famous Like Me

Cheryl Gates McFadden (born March 2, 1949 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), usually credited as Gates McFadden, 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.

Before the series she was most known as a choreographer, often working on Jim Henson productions including the films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

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 Picard's love interest, and this aspect of the character is what attracted McFadden to the role. Like many of the TNG character's during it's first season, Crusher wasn't very well developed. There were some disagreements between the show's producers and McFadden as to how the character should develop. These disagreements led to some bad blood between her and several executive producers, resulting in McFadden's being released from her contract and not being in TNG's second season.

However, her replacement proved to be unpopular and McFadden was personally asked to return by Rick Berman. At first McFadden was hesitant as she had felt she had moved on; however, after a phone call from her co-star Patrick Stewart, McFadden changed her mind and returned.

From the Third Season on, Crusher was still under-used, but the character was mellowed slightly. McFadden remained vocal about her disappointing screen time, especially during TNG movies.

McFadden now divides her time between L.A. and the south of France where she and her husband are restoring an old theater. McFadden remains close to her TNG co-stars. Brent Spiner is the godfather of her son, Marina Sirtis lives only a few doors down from her L.A. home, she and LeVar Burton reportedly chat on the phone often, and she has said Michael Dorn is her theater buddy and they go to many performances together in the L.A. area. In an interview in 2004, McFadden admitted that she was always closest to Patrick Stewart and she sees him more often than the others since he now lives in the United Kingdom and she in France.

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