I recall an interview with Patrick Stewart where he stated he personally went to her and asked her back. What a guy.

The episode where she gets stuck inside Wesley's experiment, and the crew starts disappearing, was one of the best episodes ever made.

I met her and Deforest Kelly at an Expo in Baltimore in the early 90s. She was so gracious and kind, left a permanent happy memory on me. Thanks for that!

Whoever decided her name was to be Beverly is genius. Such a distinctive and aristocratic-sounding name when said in Patrick Stewart's accent.

I remember being so hot for Gates Mcfadden during season 1 and being totally bummed when she was gone in season 2. At least they figured out their mistake and brought her back.

She's not wrong. She never talks to Wesley seriously in the show. It was a huge missed opportunity. I think people would have liked his character more if he had "grounding" in a family with his mom.

It’s amazing to see behind the curtain. She’s absolutely right that her interactions with Wesley were weak. But I never saw Beverly as a weak character. She was amazing. Being the successful chief medical officer of the flagship of the federation while also struggling being a widow and a mother at the same time. Gates made that character nuanced. Strong yet imperfect. I’m so happy she ended up coming back and I thank her for teaching me so much.

A few years ago I met and talked with Gates McFadden at a Star Trek convention, got an autographed photo. She was so friendly to me and my wife. And she's still beautiful.

I always liked Dr. Crusher (and basically all the members of the TNG cast). The family dynamic between them was strong, transcending mere shipmates and colleagues, and I found them all interesting and likeable people whom I would want to know. Oh, and for those who tend to dismiss Crusher, remember that she destroyed a Borg ship as acting captain with some really clever tactics that were well set up in a previous Crusher-episode. Always loved that scene.

Met her (and Johnathan Frakes and Brent Spiner) at a fanexpo event this year. They all came across as genuinely nice people. My interactions (and ones i saw while waiting my turn) with all three were great. I'm sure they, at times, get tired of talking about Star Trek,but they seem patient and appreciative of their fans. Each meeting/signing I saw looked like they wanted that fan to walk away thinking they were the most important fan there. Awesome experience, i cant say enough good things about them.

I loved her because she kept the technobabble controlled on that show. She’d ask for “plain English, Data” and he’d explain it so the average audience could understand it. No one else really did that and I’ll always applaud her for that.

Yay for the fans bringing her back! I remember seeing Pulaski and thinking "who tf is this where's Crusher!?"

Holy cow, she's as easy on the eyes today as she was the first time I saw her in '87! Pretty cute for a 74 year old gal.

Gates McFadden was strikingly beautiful in Startrek. I loved watching her. Also so professional and believable.

Crusher was a missed opportunity in TNG as she was the only member of the crew that could have been a real foil for Picard. She was the only one that could get to him personally and address him as an equal. Only with Crusher did we ever really see Picard's mask slip. Thankfully the final season of Picard gave us exactly that and it was a joy to watch. She really does bring out the best and worst in him.

Her voice is like velvet, I could listen to it all day.

(Cheryl) Gates McFadden's talent has always been amazing! I can certainly understand her desire to have a hand in newer, more robust performances! Her hand in the choreography of Labyrinth was something few people saw the prep work for. You might even say they took it for granted, knowing the talent of Henson's. But to choreograph something like the firestarter dance where there's four or five puppeteers on each character, not even Michael Jackson was prepared for that. Her character as Dr. Crusher in the first season was underwhelming and to hear that the writers designed it that way comes as no surprise. The reference to the Mom in "Leave it to Beaver" has got to be the biggest a-ha moment and I am glad they changed it up a bit later on when they brought her character back. McFadden's work in other productions are amazing! If you only know her as Dr. Beverly Crusher, you don't know what you're missing!

Such an intelligent, talented and articulate woman. One of my favorite discoveries was watching the 'making of' feature for Labyrinth and seeing her doing all the choreography under the name 'Cheryl McFadden'. Loved seeing her back for Picard Season 3.

My favorite episode was 'Remember Me' when Dr Crusher was alone on the Enterprise and she had to save the ship. By the time I was old enough to watch Star Trek: Next Gen it was already in reruns.

I thought the mother and son relationship was totally underdeveloped. They never had one episode about just about them. The characters never had a chance to reflect about their feelings toward one another. Ben and Jake Sisco were much better and believable.

At 16 when season one came out, I was immediately drawn to her and thought of her as a role model. I loved how she spoke truth to power even when it wasn’t popular. She is so strong.

Isn't she fabulous, so unaffected and modest and, well...normal. Very refreshing to see this in someone who has had such stellar success with a show.

Data and Dr Crusher dancing was a hoot. BRAVO Star Trek and fans.

I love Gates McFadden , she doesn't seem like a trek fan at 1st but she seems so kind and gracious and gave her character so much respect. Love ❤️ her.

I absolutely love Star Trek: The Next Generation with all my heart, but Gates is completely right here. Beverly and Wesley’s relationship was underdeveloped, and I can’t remember a single scene where she really acts like a supportive mother to him and bonds with him or gives him advice. They had an opportunity to rectify that in Star Trek: Picard, but Wesley isn’t even in the show except for a 15-second Easter egg at the end of Season 2. I thought for sure they would bring him back for Season 3 when it was announced that Gates would be a part of it, but nope. Instead, they gave her a new son and explain that she turned her back on her friends and hadn’t talked to them for the last 20 years. And she’s now a freedom fighter. Dafuq? Wil Weaton’s character really has gotten the short-stick over the years. Wesley was one of the most hated characters on the show, and that must be tough for a young actor. Throw in the stuff that happened with his parents, and I really feel bad for the guy. He seems to be happy and doing much better now. I still wish we had gotten at least a scene of him and Beverly being an actual family in Season 3 of Picard, though. Such a missed opportunity…

Who didn’t love Dr. Beverly Crusher? I was so happy that Gates came back.

I love Gates McFadden, she NEVER shies away from difficult or culturally taboo roles.

I still Love 'Dr. Crusher' today

One story goes that Maurice Hurley wanted to have a McCoy type doctor character in the mix. Thus we got Dr. Pulaski (Diana Mudaur), and the fans of the show put a lot of hate out for that one. People did like Dr. Crusher and the dynamic of a single mother raising her son. Unfortunately it wasn't until later seasons there were more episodes with Crusher and Troi as the focus. But overall, the second season did pull the show out and allow it to mature into what became the best Trek series (and I grew up on TOS in the 70's syndication).

Beverly Crusher was obscenely underrated and under utilized. There were so many story possiblities for not just Dr. Beverly Crusher but moreso for Commander Beverly Crusher.

Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis were the eye candy of Star Trek TNG for sure. She still looks good! she must have been a really healthy person to look this good at her age. Just like Nichelle Nichols! another one that had aged gracefully, her beauty never faded. I believe you have to have a beautiful heart to have that sort of luck!

What I loved most about Dr. Crusher were her heart to heart talks with Captain Picard. I got a real sense of their friendship, even thouugh it never became romantic.

She’s has and is always a great person to portray her part in Trek. She’s always down to earth and is very kind to fans.

I met Gates in Hungry when our unit was going into Bosnia. She was a real lady and so talented. You go GATES!!!

Everyone’s favourite space mom. So glad she came back.

I'll never forget her in an episode of Dream On. The motorcycle scene!

Dr. Beverly Crusher was one of my favorite characters.

I’m glad the producers decided to bring her back due to fans’s popular demand asking Paramount to do so. I believe Patrick Stewart was like a supporter.

She is right. As the mother of this supposed super genius kid, they really didn't use her as a mother that could more closely direct and challenge her son mentally. It was a failing in the writing that could have helped flesh out the Crusher family dynamics and invited a wider audience of viewers.

She also worked behind the scenes on a lot of cool movies- one being Labyrinth.

I always 'hated' pulaski for her treatment of Data. But that dynamic was also interesting and relevant. Also I later found out she was a character on TOS, and that was really neat. The storyline said something like 'dr. crusher' was doing medical studies or something on Earth-so I thought that was plausible. I always thought she would come back after a while.

She has such a great personality and talent, I always felt like her character (at least in the beginning) was being held back from really evolving and growing like the rest of the crew.

Good point. If I recall correctly, at one point, I believe it was Data who asked her for parenting advice because he said she was a successful parent, so at least he acknowledged that's Wesley's abilities had something to do with her parenting skills.

She was amazing in Season 3 of Picard.

The play she's referring to must be David Williamson's Emerald City, a great play about the Australian film industry that's not too well known in the U.S. even though Gates McFadden was in the New York production (and Williamson is considered a national treasure in Australia, and high school students are frequently assigned to read his 1971 play, The Removalists). I did a scene from it in my play directing class that was recorded and is now on KZfaq, although the character she played isn't in the excerpt I selected. The main character is a screenwriter, and she played his agent.

So many female actors complained about having few lines and stereotypical roles on Star Trek. It's a shame, the show was progressive in many ways, but not so much in others.

I just saw her (today)speak and answer questions at the San Francisco Star Trek Convention 2024. She was deep, funny, thoughtful and so insightful. Amazing. ❤ I am so proud of her sharing these important values and points.

I always thought Star Trek TNG wasn’t really good until season 3 onward. And I love Gates McFadden

Loved that bomb she drops at the end..."did Hunt for Red October, which was supposed to go into being in the second movie but then Alec Baldwin asked for too much money". I did not know that!

I am glad they realized their mistake and brought her back. "Live Long and Prosper!"

There was a two-question poll on Twitter a few years back, with a few hundred responses. The first question was who do you like better, Dr. Crusher or Dr. Pulaski, and it was 70% in favor of Crusher. Then the next question was if your child needed surgery who would you rather have operate on your child, and it was 70% Pulaski!

Always loved Gates McFadden so happy she was in Picard !!

Allllways wondered about Hunt for Red October. Interesting to know that they lumped her with Alec when he ended up having to go. That sucks. Also, her gravitas and impact on-screen again on Picard blows her previous TNG work out of the water (not that she was bad then). Just goes to show she was criminally underused - not just in time, but in the material. She's so strong and present - much more gifted than I think we knew.

OMG now I love her even more. I was a kid at the time but even I could pick up on how backwards it was at time but still trying to push forward the ideas they presented. But this yes I live for.

We've been watching Star Trek Next Generation lately. We love Gates McFadden and her role in the show.

I'm glad she came back because some of the best episodes were Dr Crusher episodes.

Prolly my fav from Next Gen. Thanks Gates for not getting TOOOOO fired

They really messed up with that. I liked Beverly's character and when they introduced Pulaski, they clearly intended to go for a Spock-McCoy dynamic. But Data wasn't like Spock and they lacked the years of friendship Spock and McCoy had, so Pulaski just came across as a discriminating bully.

Growing up. She was and will always be the woman. Like a mom to me. Love you Gates. And thank you

She was either the second or third favorite character. She was the counterbalance to Picard.

Her character turned out to be one of the best and most iconic when they eventually started using her.

Her, and Marina in the "Yoga" episode, which started with Gates bent over, leg's spread wide, back to the audience, was Heaven!

Very few people know that she was the director of the choreographer and puppet movement on Labyrinth.

I have the S1 scripts of TNG from Gates McFadden at home here, and she sometimes added complaining comments to her lines in pencil. :o)

As much as i loved TNG , they didn't write women very well. The male characters were fleshed out, but the female ones were not. Unfortunately, this is something Hollywood still struggles with...

I never watch TNG until about 2001-2002 when I think TNN or Spike TV picked it up and showed it from the beginning. It was awesome and has been my fav Star Trek since. The entire cast is amazing. GM was always great.

Gates McFadden is an amazing actress. She nailed the role as Chief Medical Officer Crusher. She made her character real. Aside from being a stunning beauty she elevated her character,

They talk about this in the Chaos On The Bridge documentary. Her “opinionated NY Broadway background” rubbed the showruner and writers the wrong way. They replaced her and the fans revolted.

Diana Muldaur took her place for season 2, but she did not work well the rest of the cast during season 2. They had to beg Gates McFadden to come back because she did not want to come back. It was the fans requests via mail and Patrick Stewart that got her to come back. Who ever says Star Trek is not a fan driven show is sorely mistaken.

I dont fully remember Dr. Crusher in season 1, but I do remember wondering wtf happened to her and why they replaced her. I very strongly disliked her replacement Dr. Pulaski or whatever. Im not sure if they were trying for a female Dr. McCoy type doctor, the way she interacted with Data, but she was highly unlikable. I was so glad when they brought Dr. Crusher back.

I always found it weird how Beverly appeared to be an absentee parent in such a small community. And then Beverly left and Wesley staying was weirder. But recently even in Picard she was treated as 'just the mum' instead of respected officer and scientist.

Gates McFadden has always been one of TNG's greatest castings. I was so happy when they brought her back. Also, I'm not usually a nasty person, but the guy supposedly responsible for her firing was let go. If it had to be a him OR her thing, bringing her back was the smart choice. I have thoroughly enjoyed her Dr. Crusher; I feel like she trail-blazed chief medical officer, with Deforest Kelly's shoes being impossibly large to fill. The way she played her character made the character feel so real.

I just met her at a convention in VA and got some pictures with her. She’s a nice lady. 😃👌🏻👍🏻

Dr. Crusher in 1987 was drop dead stunning !!! Great to see her on this interview

Best Beverly episode was i think it was called 'Remember Me', where the crew starts disappearing at an increasing rate and only Beverly remembers the missing crew members but no one else. Until it's just her and the captain on the bridge and nobody else. Intense episode 👍

Bosses don't like when any of their "underlings" speak to them like equals. It's not a man vs. woman thing. It's a power trip thing.

I love the way they gave her an iconic moment in Picard, where she kicked ass attacking the Borg ship. That’s Wesley’s mother. That’s the person she should always have been!

This is an exceptionally clear-minded criticism of the misogyny and clumsy writing of the first season.

Yup. I'm with her. I didn't like the shit the producers shoved into the show in the first season

I can see why she’d be excited about a play with Linda Hunt. I love that she called out stupid writing too 👍

Gates is not a fake , for sure . She is what a friend of mine would call a "real person" .

McFadden did a pretty decent job of it in Picard, at least. Both her and Will Wheaton were victims of poorly drawn characters in TNG contrasted against extra jumbo, larger than life heroes. Honestly, I think Will Wheaton got shafted the hardest because he was so implausibly written than fans actually hated the guy without knowing or appreciating that he privately railed against the scripts/was a ST superfan, and is in real life most often characterized as one of the most wonderful people you could meet. To circle back, as poorly received and snubbed as Mcfadden was; she got a second crack at bat in Picard and did pretty good.

Gates is awesome. Thought I had more to say, but nah, that covers it: Gates is awesome.

And then the fans demanded they bring her back and all was right with the Universe 🖖❤ (except the industry politics, sexism, and the rest... but Crusher was back so that's a win!)

Imagine being asked to be on Star Trek and not really wanting to do it that much. I have more respect for her now she was more into acting than Hollywood which I can relate to after being in a method acting school for 5 years.

Probably my favorite random Gates McFadden role was director of choreography and puppetry for Labyrinth.

Met her once at a convention. Nice lady.

I believe my lifelong desire of redheads is because of this lady!!! I had such a crush on her in my teens.

I met her at a Comic-Con, fantastic and beautiful woman.

There were so many scenes in TNG where Gates just got back burnered or poor dialogue. They made some changes later in the series but, you’ve got this great actress why not write for her instead of make her filler or a techno-babble mechanic. I know there’s only so much time but, good writers can say a lot quickly with a single line. Still, always loved the Doctor Crusher strong episodes.

I always loved Bev and her and Picard. And I agree with her about Wes

She's absolutely right. They treated women terribly. Look at what they did to Dax.

ive wondered why cheryl has the name gates for acting, and this makes that make aense. i totally get her feelings, and im so proud of her for standing up for women's portrayal in the show.

Both Gates and Dr. Crusher are classy, beautiful and smart as a whip.

If I'm not mistaken it was Darius McCrary who played Eddie Winslow on Family Matters who said in an interview that sometimes actors forget that the show they're on is the producer's baby. They've been developing some of these shows for a decade or more before the actor's ever got involved. So be careful how you go about suggesting/telling someone what do with their baby.

Watching as a teenager in the 80s I saw Dr Crusher as a strong, confident but gentle character and was happy when she returned in S3. Now I'm older, I find I prefer the acerbic Dr Pulaski and sometimes wish she had remained in the role.

If Gates McFadden ever does the computer voice for any other Trek projects she'll be perfect.

Seen her at a convention! She is awesome!

I was glad when Gates returne. She added a dynamic to the show.

I enjoyed her on Star Trek and I loved her choreography for Labyrinth.