Gates McFadden's Chat Transcripts

As the world of the Internet become increasingly popular, it seems that celebrities are now conducting chats more and more often. Gates is definitely taking advantage of this means of communicating with her fans. As the chat transcripts become available I will try to place them on this web site.

If you know of any chats that I do not have a transcript for and you do by all means send it my way and I will give you full credit for it. :o)

The transcripts that I have so far: TalkCity (see below) (June 25, 1998), TV Guide (November 30, 1998), and Entertainment Asylum (Dec. 8,1998).

TV Transcripts: "Hey Hey it's Saturday" (October 2, 1998), E-Online (December 10, 1998)

Transcript from June 25, 1998
TalkCityLive Welcomes actor Gates McFadden

The Password is pleased to invite you to a conversation with Gates McFadden. Best known as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher of the Starship Enterprise, Gates McFadden is also an accomplished stage and screen actor, TV
director, choreographer and writer. Ms McFadden has a cum laude degree in Theatre Arts, and studied with Jacques LeCoq in Paris. She is currently filming 'Star Trek: Prime Directive,' due out in December of 1998. Room: #TalkCityLive

Password Internet Publishing CCCMyst: and Talk City are pleased to Welcome you this evening to an Interview with Gates McFadden. Best known as Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher of the Starship Enterprise, Gates McFadden is also an accomplished stage and screen actor, TV director, choreographer and writer.

As Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher, was is in charge of the medical units aboard the Enterprise. Crusher and Riker are second in rank to the Captain. Dr. Crusher's husband, a Starship captain, was killed on a mission saving Captain Picard,  so her relationship with Jean-Luc is powerfully charged.

In her role as Dr. Crusher she is the mother of Wes , the Enterprise's brilliant young ensign, who is currently attending the Starfleet Academy.

Gates made her television directorial debut on Star Trek: The Next Generation with the episode entitled Genesis making her the first female cast member to direct an episode of the series.

During the shows sixth season, Gates embarked on a four-city tour, appearing with fellow cast members Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, and Colm Meaney, in the Stoppard drama, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour.

Gates guest-starred on an episode of HBO's "Dream On" and while on hiatus, narrated Saint-Saen "Carnival des Animaux" with Katia and Marielle Labeque and the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin.

Gates has been seen in "Beyond the Groove," a British television production, written by and starring the late actor David Rappaport. Gates starred in the world premiere stage production of Derek Walcott's "Viva Detroit" in Los Angeles and was cast in the feature film "Taking Care of Business," co-starring Charles Grodin and Jim Belushi. Gates also had a part in the feature film Hunt For Red October.

Gates has worked extensively on the New York stage, both acting and directing. Her acting credits include leads in the New York productions of "To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," "How to Say Good-bye," "Cloud 9" and "Emerald City" Gates, who also appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan, continued to work with Jim Henson for several years, serving as director of choreography and puppet movement on the film "Labyrinth"

Raised in Ohio, Gates served on the faculties of several theater arts training programs around the country including New York University Graduate School of the Arts Brandeis University and the University of Pittsburgh. from Brandeis University and studied with Jacques LeCoq in Paris for several years.

Trivia: All My Children Fans will remember Gates in the role of Dr.Anna Tolen.

Trivia: Beverly Crusher was a very accomplished dancer, and colleagues named her , The Dancing Doctor.

Trivia: Beverly Crushers' maiden name is Howard, from her biographical computer screen in Conundrum.

For transcripts of this event please visit : http://www.thepassword.com/new/ and check under "chat archives"

Password Internet Publishing and Talk City are pleased to Welcome you this evening to an Interview with Gates McFadden
And now without further ado Welcome Gates McFadden !

mysterygirl says: Gates, welcome to Talk City! What are your thoughts on the ever popular Star Trek series and its impact on society?
Gates_McFadden: Dear MysteryGirl : Many books have been written answering that question. I think, obviously, the series speaks to a lot of people about the possibilities of our future. Aspects of the series interest me in particular, such as Prime Directive, the concept of people being very different, but yet finding ways to work together successfully and collaborate in
non-dogmatic ways is intriguing.

imzadi-1 says: I loved you on Mad About You. Do you plan to do other sit-coms?
Gates_McFadden: I have no specific plans about doing another sitcom in the future but if a good script crossed my path, I would certainly consider it!

ezguest3 says: Hi Gates! Does your son's mouse and your two pet cats get along?
Gates_McFadden: LOL! Our two cats believe that they get along very well with the mouse. The mouse however, thinks they are liars! The way we solve this is to keep the doors to my sons room closed at all times! We however, sometimes allow them to observe each other while we are present.

ocampa says: It is said that you play a larger role in this new movie that's coming up than the last one, in what way?
Gates_McFadden: Where did you get your information ;-) Certainly not from the writers, alas the role is not a
full meal.

boncers says: I have several friends that were lucky enough to see you in Voices in New Jersey... I wish I were any of them! grin: They all are still on cloud nine that you stopped your car to speak with them. I feel their joy by proxy... so thanks!
Gates_McFadden: You're welcome! They were a terrific group of women!! I really was very touched that they came to see me in the play. It was nice to know that they were out there in the audience

nanite says: Hi there! I saw "Voices in the Dark" with a group of friends on closing night in April (thank you for stopping to talk to us! You have guts!) and we must know when is it going to Broadway and how long will it be there? (Yes, it's going, I just have to know when- you're not allowed to say it isn't going to be there. Thanks :)
Gates_McFadden: It looks like there will be another production some time in October, (rehearsals with rewrites). But the details have not been worked out so it may change. I will certainly put it on the Star Trek website when I have the information.

trexphile says: Besides "Voices in the Dark," do you have any other projects/convention appearances scheduled?
Gates_McFadden: :-) Very likely I will be in Australia the end of September or beginning of October. Then I will be in Germany in January and perhaps early May. All of this could change depending on the schedule of the play. For the next two months I'm concentrating on being a mother :-) Having just come off a play in New York and three months of the movie in LA

lolalee32 says: Jessica Lange recently said that she would not start acting today, that back when she was starting "the business attracted integrity, it attracted artists, and I don't think it does anymore". Do you think she's right?    Gates_McFadden: I don't know whether she's right or wrong, that's her opinion. Certainly the entertainment business has changed dramatically in the last 20 years. However I find that there are still pockets of extraordinary work being done by actors in theater, film and television.

heartofgold says: Are dramatic arts taught differently in France? Is that why you left to study in France?
Gates_McFadden: I left to study with Jacques LeCoq in Paris because his school offered a unique approach to acting. LeCoq believed artists had a responsibility to work Together to change society for the better. I had classes with musicians, architects, and dancers as well as actors. He had emphasis on both the spoken word and silence. We studied movement in order to better comprehend immobility. He was the greatest influence in my development as an actress and director. Now there are many people all over the world, who have incorporated his ideas and techniques into their teaching of acting. Geoffrey Rush , the actor in the movie "Shine" was a student of his. Emma Thompson studied with someone in England who had worked with LeCoq for years, and so on and so forth.

kit_angel says: I've heard that you've done a lot of stage work but never had the opportunity to see you on stage. What kind of plays have you done and do you prefer stage to television?
Gates_McFadden: I most definitely prefer stage work to television! My roles have ranged from Helena, in "A Midsummer Nights Dream," by William Shakespeare, to Ruth in "The Homecoming" by Harold Pinter. I've done many comedies such as "Cloud Nine" by Caryl Churchill. I've also done serious plays such as 'To Gillian, on her 37th Birthday" which later was developed into a movie.

mrswizz12 says: My 13 year old son would like to tell you that you're a great Actress and you're very beautiful Gates_McFadden: Thank you! One can never hear that too many times!

sarah says: As you've probably realized by now, there is a large BonC contingent here - all dying to know is the Picard and Crusher romance totally dead - or is there a possibility it may be revived?
Gates_McFadden: In this movie it is definitely not revived. However I encourage you to write letters to Rick
Berman the producer suggesting that it be resurrected.

boncers says: Thank you for being here. Would you be willing to reconsider you stance on an official fan club if it were run professionally?
Gates_McFadden: Yes!

zippity says: Love Star Trek, and your character is superb - a strong woman, but feminine - wish men could relate to women like that in today
Gates_McFadden: I have found that often they do!

pygmalion2 says: The drama coach in our school says that acting is not about feeling the required emotions while acting on stage, it's about PROJECTING those emotions as you act on stage. She says if you feel the emotions you'll be distracted from acting. But if you don't feel like the character is feeling, then won't your portrayal look phony?
Gates_McFadden: Keep trying don't give up! This is a tough question to answer quickly. She is not incorrect, however, I often find that during a show the feeling and the technique all come together in moments of pure poetry. It is like an adrenaline rush where you are the character, the play is bigger than yourself and you are almost inside the character and outside it at the same time. I don't feel that there is only one method to acting. Work with as many good teachers as you can and find what works best for you.

ocampa says: William Frakes seems like a very nice guy, how is he in private?
Gates_McFadden: Terrific!

boncers says: Thanks for being here... is there a specific directing project that you'd like to tackle?
Gates_McFadden: Yes, but the script is not finished and has been in development for a year and a half. It's a silent film in black and white.

mick_mouse says: Why do so many actors want to direct? It seems to me that since power is money, then the real power is in producing since it's the producers that bring the money in. Ultimately, the producer can put financial pressure on a director to make him do what she wants him to do. Am I right?
Gates_McFadden: Sometimes, not always. I went into acting because I loved it. I loved the way it made me feel, the power of my voice, the power of my imagination, the power of a situation, the words of a playwright. If you are interested in who has the power as in the big boss who makes the most money, then it's a different situation. Directing is an art, acting is an art, and many fine producing an art. Personally I find acting and directing more creative, but everyone has their own passion.

temporalrift says: - looking at short description of "guest" - Have you written anything recently?
Gates_McFadden: I haven't finished a script I've been working on for years but with time and courage I hope to finish it soon.

nan1 says: This question if from my daughter, Rebecca (sorry!). She would like to thank you for your letters and wants to know how Jack's birthday was and how is Coc and Mary Alice. Thanks for giving her someone to admire who is worth admiring!
Gates_McFadden: My sons seventh birthday was probably as good as a seventh birthday could possibly be. We had a bowling party! The cats are fine and hope you're all doing well.

mericcc says: In your eyes what has been the most significant contribution Dr. Crushers has made to STTNG?
Gates_McFadden: A hypo-spray in the neck .... no ..... just kidding. Probably her determination to rank compassion over the Prime Directive.

captbevpicard says: Ms. McFadden, I want to thank you for giving us six years of great acting.
Gates_McFadden: Thanks for watching!

jneff says: What do you think of the Voyager show?
Gates_McFadden: How can I say this without being rude. The truth is I have only watched a part of one episode. Not because I don't like it, but because I watch very little television.

tori says: What inspired your interest in mythology and masks which Jeff Greenwald brought up in his book, Future Perfect?
Gates_McFadden: I loved Myths ever since I took a class in High School. The man I worked with in Paris, introduced me to the techniques of mask acting. I then researched masks in the major cultures of the world and found they were a significant part of most cultures, so I put together a plaque on the history of masks in theater when I was teaching at the University of Pittsburgh. Masks can be beautiful in and of themselves, but they become magical when a performer makes them come alive by the way she moves.

hondo1 says: who was the best male actor that you enjoyed working with over your career
Gates_McFadden: I don't have one favorite. I'd rather say there have been very few that I haven't
enjoyed working with.

molakai says: Hello Ms. McFadden My real name is Michael! I would like to know do you and Marina Sirtis get along like friends as your characters did on the next generation? Thank you for your time to view my question! You're the first star trek actor or actress I have met!
Gates_McFadden: Marina and I are friends, but unlike the characters that we play we don't talk about men together very much, but we laugh a lot and cover a range of subjects.

dixonhill says: Do you have any plans to do projects with LA Theaterworks?
Gates_McFadden: I performed the Neil Simon play "Chapter Two" this year but have no other projects scheduled with them at this point.

ocampa says: Could you think of yourself as an doctor in real life?
Gates_McFadden: Oh I think it would be wonderful to be a doctor in real life, especially when I feel awful or my son has the flu.

bsisko says: where can we write to get autographs
Gates_McFadden: I am taking a short hiatus from signing autographs through the mail because of my need to spend more time with my child. Next year I will probably have more time and at that point I will again be available to sign autographs through the mail. It is always the best idea to send the mail to Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. 5555 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California I worry that people won't understand my reasons for not signing autographs, but the truth is when my son wants me to play with him and I have a stack of pictures to sign, I know I'm making the right choice, even though my fans will be disappointed.

kit_angel says: If tribbles were real, would you actually want one running around your house as a pet? LOL
Gates_McFadden: Absolutely! I would continue to try to train it!

Password: Gates, our time is nearly up for tonight. You've been a wonderful guest!! Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to leave us with?

Gates_McFadden: I literally drove home today from Mammoth Lake where we shot some of our final scenes in the new Star Trek movie. I had never been to the mountains in that area and was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and power of the Sierra Nevada's. The cast had a fabulous time and I just want you all to know when you watch the movie that even though we were pretending to be very scared, we were having the time of our lives! Thanks to all of you for the years of support! I love you all!

Password: We Thank You our Great Audience and a very special 'Thank You' to our Guest Gates McFadden!

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For transcripts of this event please visit :
http://www.thepassword.com/new/
and check under "chat archives

Date Updated : December 27, 1999

Date Created : July 2, 1998