Posted in: Netflix, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: beef, Gates McFadden, Patti Yasutake, star trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: TNG Star Gates McFadden Pays Tribute to Patti Yasutake

Gates McFadden paid tribute to her late Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star Patti Yasutake, who passed away at the age of 70.

The Star Trek family lost one of its unsung heroes in Patti Yasutake, who played Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on The Next Generation in a recurring role across four seasons and two theatrical films passed on August 5th after a long battle with cancer at the age of 70. The character actress has been a seasoned veteran on TV since her debut in T.J. Hooker in 1985, with The Original Series star William Shatner in the title role. With over 60 credits, she became synonymous with TNG since it's the series she most appeared in with 16 episodes. She reprised the role in the 1994 TOS-TNG crossover film Generations and 1996's First Contact, her final live-action appearance in the franchise. Her final time, she lent her voice in the 2001 video game Star Trek: Armada II, and she appeared in the 2020 Star Trek spoof indie film Unbelievable!!! featuring Trek cast members from all five live-action broadcast & syndicated TV shows. Yasutake's co-star Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher on TNG, and more recently on Picard, Short Treks, and Prodigy, wrote on social media, Gates Plays.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dr. Beverly Crusher Actor Gates McFadden Pays Tribute to Her Nurse Ogawa, Actor Patti Yasutake

"Our hearts are heavy with the news of the passing of Patti Yasutake. May her family and friends find comfort in the coming days," McFadden shared in a post-TNG picture with Yasutake. The late actress landed her first big break as Umeki Kazihiro, the wife of Gedde Watanabe's Takahara "Kaz" Kazihiro, in the 1986 Ron Howard cultural comedy film Gung Ho, which also stars Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). The film's success led to a short-lived sitcom of the same name, with Watanabe and Yasutake reprising their roles and Scott Bakula, who would go on to star in UPN's Star Trek: Enterprise, taking over Keaton's role of Hunt Stevenson.

Yasutake would also appear in memorable shows and films like Knots Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Murphy Brown, Stop! Or My Mom With Shoot (1992), Picket Fences, ER, Crossing Jordan, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, Cold Case, The Young and the Restless, The Closer, NCIS: Los Angeles, and Pretty Little Liars. Her final live-action role was in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Beef opposite stars and Emmy winners Steven Yeun and Ali Wong.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!