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Gates McFadden
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA
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 f…
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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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
- 2026
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2026
The Center Seat II: 60 Years of Star Trek
TV show Narrator
-
2024
X-Men '97
TV show Mother Askani (voice)
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2024
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
TV show Queen Marlena (voice)
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2023
Star Trek: very Short Treks
TV show Dr. Crusher (voice)
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2023
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
-
2022
The Shuttlepod Show
TV show Self
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2021
The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek
TV show Self / Narrator
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2021
Star Trek: Prodigy
TV show Dr. Beverly Crusher (voice)
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2020
Hexengeddon: Witches vs. the World
Movie Madame Hexxina
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2020
Star Trek: Picard
TV show Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2019
That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars
Movie Self & Narrator
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2019
The Ready Room
TV show Self
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2017
A Neighbor's Deception
Movie Dr. Constance Abrams
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2016
50 Years of Star Trek
Movie Self
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2015
Mattresside
Movie Nurse
More credits
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2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2014
Chaos on the Bridge
Movie Self
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2014
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2013
The Captains Close Up
TV show Self
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2013
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher (archive footage)
- 2012
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2011
Franklin & Bash
TV show Judge Mallory Jacobs
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2009
Make the Yuletide Gay
Movie Martha Stanford
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2005
Dirty
Movie Wife
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2003
NCIS
TV show Mrs. Belmont
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2002
Star Trek: Nemesis
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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2001
The Division
TV show Mrs. Petersen
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1999
Family Guy
TV show Gates McFadden (voice)
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1998
Star Trek: Insurrection
Movie Doctor Beverly Crusher
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1997
The Practice
TV show Judge Emily Harrison
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1997
Crowned and Dangerous
Movie Patrice Baxter
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1996
Star Trek: First Contact
Movie Commander Beverly Crusher
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1996
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Movie Self
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1995
Marker
TV show Kimba
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1994
Star Trek: Generations
Movie Dr. Beverly Crusher
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1994
Party of Five
TV show Greer Erikson
- 1994
