Gates McFadden On Why She Loved Coming Back to Star Trek

Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher in STAR TREK: PICARD. Image: Paramount+.

APRIL 4, 2023 - Star Trek: Picard actress Gates McFadden looks to Star Trek as a beacon in the dark for those fretting about the future of our planet. The world of Gene Roddenberry's hit television show and the subsequent far-reaching stories are "positive" and "powerful" in the words of the actress.

On Star Trek: The Next Generation, she carried the role of Dr. Beverly Crusher, for a total of six seasons with an additional appearance in the feature films. In a recent interview, Gates revealed the reasons behind her eagerness to hop onto Picard's third season in such an impactful way.

“I loved that,” she said, “because it wasn’t just coming back in the same old way. She obviously had evolved as a human being … And so it was exciting to come back and be part of the story.”

Showrunner Terry Matalas agreed wholly with Gates’ intentions to return not simply as a momentary familiar face, but to engage the audience in a clever and intricate story for Crusher to navigate through. The relationship dynamics between the Doctor and Picard are given a spotlight during the season, exploring the secret son they shared. Although her full reasons behind keeping the truth from Picard are unknown, Gates nudges fans to consider what she means by "a woman's instinct is often very good" in regards to her character's hidden child.

For more of McFadden’s interview, beam on over to Yahoo!Entertainment. And don’t forget that we’re offering a special discount on Paramount+. If you’re not yet a subscriber, click the link to the left and use the code PICARD at checkout for a free month. You can catch up on Star Trek: Picard’s excellent third season and so much more! This offer ends on 4/30.