Gates McFadden

About Gates McFadden

Born March 2, 1949, Cheryl Gates McFadden is a performer and movement designer from America. She typically works under the name Cheryl McFadden for choreography projects and Gates McFadden when acting. Her most widely recognized role is Dr. Beverly Crusher in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its four follow-up films. McFadden's birthplace is Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, graduating with honors, in theater arts from Brandeis University. Afterward, she relocated to Paris to refine her theatrical skills studying under Jacques Lecoq at his physical theater school. Her maternal heritage includes Lithuanian roots. McFadden was a frequent collaborator with The Jim Henson Company, contributing her talents behind the scenes on films such as Labyrinth, where she handled choreography and puppet movement direction, The Muppets Take Manhattan as choreographer and in a brief on-screen appearance, and uncredited work on Dreamchild, again supervising choreography and puppet movement. To differentiate her professional endeavors, she is usually credited as Gates McFadden for acting roles and Cheryl McFadden for choreography. However, she was credited as Cheryl McFadden in the 1985 Troma film When Nature Calls and for an appearance in the season three episode of The Cosby Show titled "Cliff's 50th Birthday." She also appeared in The Hunt for Red October as Caroline, Jack Ryan's wife, although a significant portion of her scenes were removed during post-production. In 1987, McFadden was selected for the role of Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The character of Crusher was intended to be Captain Jean-Luc Picard's romantic interest, and a key element of her persona was being a widowed mother balancing her career and responsibilities. Maurice Hurley, who served as head writer and showrunner, found working with McFadden difficult, and at his request, she was let go at the conclusion of the first season. Diana Muldaur was then brought in to play the Enterprise's new chief medical officer, Dr. Katherine Pulaski, for the second season. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the series, acknowledged that the Dr. Pulaski character did not establish a strong connection with the other characters. Consequently, McFadden was contacted to reprise her role as Dr. Crusher for the third season. Initially hesitant, she was eventually convinced to return to the part, which she continued to portray for the remainder of the series, influenced by a conversation with co-star Patrick Stewart and numerous supportive messages from fans.