Gates McFadden
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Mar 2, 1949 (age 77)
- Place of birth
- Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, USA
- Credits
- 54
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.
Known for
Family Guy
1999TV
Gates McFadden (voice)
The Hunt for Red October
1990Movie
Caroline Ryan
NCIS
2003TV
Mrs. Belmont
Star Trek: First Contact
1996Movie
Commander Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: Picard
2020TV
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987TV
Beverly Crusher
Filmography
The Sixty Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World
2026Movie
Self
The Center Seat II: 60 Years of Star Trek
2026TV
Narrator
X-Men '97
2024TV
Mother Askani (voice)
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
2024TV
Queen Marlena (voice)
Star Trek: very Short Treks
2023TV
Dr. Crusher (voice)
Star Trek: Picard - The IMAX Live Series Finale Event
2023Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
The Shuttlepod Show
2022TV
Self
The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek
2021TV
Self / Narrator
Star Trek: Prodigy
2021TV
Dr. Beverly Crusher (voice), Beverly Crusher (voice)
Hexengeddon: Witches vs. the World
2020Movie
Madame Hexxina
Star Trek: Picard
2020TV
Dr. Beverly Crusher
That Guy... Who Was In That Thing 3: Trek Stars
2019Movie
Self & Narrator
The Ready Room
2019TV
Self
A Neighbor's Deception
2017Movie
Dr. Constance Abrams
50 Years of Star Trek
2016Movie
Self
Mattresside
2015Movie
Nurse
Star Trek: The Next Generation - All Good Things...
2014Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Chaos on the Bridge
2014Movie
Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Chain of Command
2014Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Unification
2013Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: The Next Generation - Redemption
2013Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
The Captains Close Up
2013TV
Self
Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds
2013Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher (archive footage)
Reunification - 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation
2012Movie
Self
Franklin & Bash
2011TV
Judge Mallory Jacobs
Make the Yuletide Gay
2009Movie
Martha Stanford
Dirty
2005Movie
Wife
NCIS
2003TV
Mrs. Belmont
Star Trek: Nemesis
2002Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
The Division
2001TV
Mrs. Petersen
Family Guy
1999TV
Gates McFadden (voice)
Star Trek: Insurrection
1998Movie
Doctor Beverly Crusher
The Practice
1997TV
Judge Emily Harrison
Crowned and Dangerous
1997Movie
Patrice Baxter
Star Trek: First Contact
1996Movie
Commander Beverly Crusher
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996Movie
Self
Marker
1995TV
Kimba
Star Trek: Generations
1994Movie
Dr. Beverly Crusher
Party of Five
1994TV
Greer Erikson
Journey's End - The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
1994Movie
Self
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Behind the Scenes
1993Movie
Beverly Crusher
Mad About You
1992TV
Allison Rourke
Star Trek: Federation Science
1992Movie
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991Movie
Self
Taking Care of Business
1990Movie
Diane Connors
Dream On
1990TV
Ina Dreikoff
The Hunt for Red October
1990Movie
Caroline Ryan
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987TV
Beverly Crusher
Inside the Labyrinth
1986Movie
Self
The Wizard
1986TV
The Cosby Show
1984TV
The Muppets Take Manhattan
1984Movie
Mr. Price's Secretary
Saturday Night Live
1975TV
Woman in audience kissed by Bill Murray (uncredited)
Make-Up Man: The Michael Westmore Documentary
Movie
Self