What do Beverly Crusher, Ziggy Stardust, and Ludo have in common? Gates McFadden worked with Jim Henson as a choreographer for the movies The Dark Crystal (1982) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) and as Director of Choreography and Puppet Movement in Labyrinth (1986). As an actor she goes by “Gates,” while as choreographer she is credited as Cheryl McFadden (her real full name is Cheryl Gates McFadden, after her late mother, Veronica Gates McFadden).
And a cool piece of Dr. Crusher trivia: Gates McFadden, who considers theater her true love, is trained in stage swordfighting – as is Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi). Yet only the male actors were allowed to use swords in the Star Trek: TNG episode “Qpid” (1991, the one where Worf, dressed all in magenta-scarlet, complains “Sir, I must protest. I am not a merry man!”)
I always knew Gates McFadden was cool, but the puppeteering and swordfighting just top it off.
Gates McFadden Article [Memory-Alpha.org]
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I met her once at a party in LA, very classy and down to earth. And she speaks a perfect french as we chatted for probably 20mn in french, talking about the theater she bought a few years ago in Languedoc in the south of France (she’s spending most of her time there apparently to renovate the building). Of the whole cast, she also had the best prononciation of “Jean-Luc” (not “Jean-Look” as everybody else was saying
)
Wow, Yorick, that sounds awesome. What kind of party was this that allowed you to be able to chat with her for 20 minutes?
I agree….her pronouncian of Jean-Luc was beautiful. Further proof Beverly belonged with him, eh.
Gates McFadden is a truly talented woman. It’s a shame she wasn’t able to show this in TNG. But, to give her even more credit, Gates was the one behind the scenes fighting to give women more screentime. She’s a true inspiration.
well i would like to just say i haven’t got anything quite as intresting but all three charecters are also ginger.
like i say nothing great lol