Did Denise Crosby Lobby for Sela to Appear on DS9?

A lot of Denise Crosby hate here. Funny how the Gates McFadden doesn't get similarly flogged for leaving, only to return back. McFadden's character was more important to the show, and her loss damaged the show more. If anything, Tasha's death strengthened the show by giving Data a barometer by which to measure his progress towards humanity--his grief.

The TNG cast was just way too big, and roles overlapped too much. Sela was by definition a more interesting character as a mixed-race Romulan reserved for guest-spots.

 

Based on information I've read, McFadden was fired, so her leaving wasn't the actor's choice.

 

Denise Crosby got impatient about her character development and wanted out before the end of Season One, Gates Mc Fadden got impatient because of sexual harrassment and wanted out after the first season had concluded and/or because she was asked to go (I recall vaguely from reading fan magazines back then, that all the actors and creative people - e.g. Andrew Probert - that had provided "feedback" once too often, were asked to leave. Paramount later adopted this open-submission policy for ideas and scripts but these weren't the days at the end of the first season).

Gates McFadden got back in because fans were campaigning for her return, Denise Crosby got back in because she was campaigning for her return. Andrew Probert didn't get back because fans, then, knew too little about his accomplishments and noble intentions (he was a continuity freak in the most positive sense).

So I'd think comparing the stories of both ladies would be like comparing apples with oranges.

Bob

 

Yes, McFadden was fired. Although she rarely talks about it, she recently said this.

 

Though not at all denying it, this just makes zero sense to me. Talk about jumping the gun. Skin of Evil is episode 23/26. This means that, based on giving them time to write and develop the episode, she had to have put in her notice somewhere around the midway point of filiming the season. She knew that quickly that she didn't like her character development? No one had development at that point. I think she didn't think the show was going to be successful and wanted out ASAP, and then felt silly when her movie career went no where and the show took off.

I think the Tasha "hate" really just stems from the fact that she left so soon, and then how contrived (most) of her appearances were after that. I actually liked the character. She wasn't great, but no one was S1.

 

Yep, that's exactly the reason she gave, though she later said had she had more scenes like the one between her and Worf at the beginning of "Skin of Evil," she wouldn't have left the show.

 

Her returning to guest star later on STAR TREK is, indeed, puzzling. As you say, she did have other work. I guess she figured that the STAR TREK fans were a resource she didn't want to relinquish with a half-forgotten, one-season character. Or, perhaps, her real problem was with Gene Roddenberry? For what reason, one can only speculate. But the show was tweeked and modified slightly after his departure and many are quite fond of those changes. Once he relinquished control to Rick Berman either way, Denise may have felt emboldened to give STAR TREK another try ...

 

I had no problem with Crosby returning when it made sense and made for a powerful story, like "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "Measure of a Man." It's when we got monumental stupidity like Sela that I had a problem.

 

Wow, that would have been a great idea!!! I wished that the producers would have done that, that would added to an already great episodes.

 

Great Advice for sure, NEVER burn your bridge until you have a new bridge to walk on.

 

You betcha! What's more, almost anyplace else you go is going to expect you to be currently employed. Unemployed applications are often weeded-out of the hiring process, first. As Shatner recently pointed out, actors are unemployed right after each project they star in. Denise was taking her top off alot, it seems like, to keep getting work and even that didn't elevate her to A-List Celebrity Status. You know, I've seen some modelling work she did, a lot of it is obviously dated, but in some of it, she was impossibly beautiful, the way she was photographed. I don't even know what else Crosby's known for, after STAR TREK. I would've expected that coming from a famous family and being so gorgeous would've gotten her much further along in the Movie Industry. That's another lesson to remember, I suppose.

 

But remember that only her father was a "member" of that family and she never met Bing Crosby...

Bob

 

Indeed? I never knew that she hadn't met Bing. What a shame - though, I must confess that Bing Crosby was never on my radar. I heard some of his singing and saw clips of him and I just never understood the one-time appeal, to be Frank & Ernest.

 

Bingo. She listened to the wrong folks and believed the hype that she could make big bucks doing movies.

I did not. Nothing against Denise, but I hated the character.

I don't think TNG is as successful as it was without Worf's promotion to Security Officer.

Didn't care for her Romulan version either.