Former Star Trek: The Next Generation regular passes away

by

As a gamer with a heart full of Star Trek nostalgia, today feels like a poignant goodbye to one of our own – Patti Yasutake. Her journey from T.J. Hooker to Nurse Ogawa on The Next Generation was nothing short of remarkable, and her contributions to the Star Trek universe will live long and prosper in our memories.

Today is a mournful day for Star Trek enthusiasts everywhere, as Patti Yasutake, an iconic figure from Star Trek: The Next Generation, has tragically passed away at the age of 70. Throughout her extensive career in Hollywood, Yasutake took on various roles. Her first significant role was on T.J. Hooker, a series led by William Shatner, who would later become a household name in the Star Trek universe.

Following T.J. Hooker, she starred in shows like Knots Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Tales from the Crypt, and Murphy Brown. However, it was in 1990 that she secured a role that many here recognize her from – the role of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa on the highly praised and cherished series, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Throughout her tenure on the series, she graced 16 episodes, spanning from season four up to and including season seven. Notably, she was also part of two significant episodes, such as the highly praised “Lower Decks,” which later became the basis for a spin-off show with the same title. Additionally, she made an appearance in the final episode of the series, entitled “All Good Things…”

Her Star Trek journey didn’t stop there; she was among the characters who returned for subsequent movie installments. She reappeared as Nurse Ogawa in Star Trek Generations and later in Star Trek: First Contact. Additionally, she contributed to the Star Trek video game, “Star Trek Armada II”. Later, she joined William Shatner on his new series, Boston Legal.

Her final project related to Star Trek was the movie titled “Unbelievable.” Although it didn’t achieve commercial success, it boasted an impressive ensemble of actors who had previously worked on Star Trek, perhaps the most extensive gathering in years, or even ever. Among them were Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, and Robert Picardo from Star Trek: Voyager, Marina Sirtis and Robert Dorn from The Next Generation, Linda Park and Connor Trinneer from Enterprise, as well as Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig from the Original Series.

Deep Space Nine’s Chase Masterson and Nana Visitor were also in the film.

The film failed to win favor among viewers, yet witnessing her reunion with her past co-stars from Star Trek and other fellow family members made it all worthwhile. Sadly, we’ll deeply miss Yasutake.

Read More

2024-08-08 04:23