Gates McFadden - guest 2026

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GATES MCFADDEN (actress; USA)

Guest appearance: Sunday 15. November 2026

Gates McFadden is an American actress and choreographer. Born in Akron, Ohio, McFadden studied theatre arts at Brandeis University, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She then moved to Paris, where she studied physical theatre with renowned actor and mime artist Jacques Lecoq. During the 1970s, she taught theatre and dance at several universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University and George Washington University.

Her career also includes extensive work behind the scenes. McFadden worked with The Jim Henson Company as director of choreography and puppet movement on such productions as Labyrinth and The Muppets Take Manhattan.

In 1987, she joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Dr. Beverly Crusher, the chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise-D and mother of Wesley Crusher. After leaving the series following its first season, she returned as a series regular for the third season and remained with the show for the rest of its seven-season run.

McFadden reprised the role of Dr. Crusher in all four Star Trek: The Next Generation feature films and later returned to the character in Star Trek: Picard and the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. She has also lent her voice to several Star Trek video games.

Outside the Star Trek universe, McFadden has appeared in several notable film and television productions. Among them is the 1990 thriller The Hunt for Red October, in which she portrayed Catherine Ryan, the wife of Jack Ryan, played by Alec Baldwin.