Did Denise Crosby Lobby for Sela to Appear on DS9?

[mos6507]

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.

 

[Melakon]

Funny how the Gates McFadden doesn't get similarly flogged for leaving, only to return back.

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

 

[Robert Comsol]

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

 

[Hober Mallow]

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

 

[Worf'sParmach]

Denise Crosby got impatient about her character development and wanted out before the end of Season One.

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.

 

[Hober Mallow]

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?

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.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Crosby's primary complaint was that Yar didn't have much to do, so she quit.

[SNIP!]

But for Trek, perhaps her big mistake was voicing her concerns and then quitting, rather than voicing her concerns and waiting till the end of the season to see the outcome -- definitely a youthful mistake in the professional world. But I say that with the privilege of hindsight, too -- nobody was sure that TNG would survive, much less become the legend that it is today. Even Patrick Stewart didn't unpack his suitcase for weeks in case the show got cancelled and he needed to fly back to the UK.

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 ...

 

[Hober Mallow]

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.

 

[Keith1701]

As most of you already know, Denise Crosby (a.k.a. the actress that played Lt. Tasha Yar on TNG) created the character of Sela and convinced TPTB to incorporate Sela in TNG episodes. It seems to me that Denise Crosby could have also convinced TPTB to have Sela appear on DS9 as well, especially during the Dominion War episodes. Has anyone ever heard anything about this? Of course, you could say that Sela lost her standing in the Empire as a result of the snafu seen in Unification II. Perhaps she was sent to jail (or executed) as a result of her failures in that episode.

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.

 

[Keith1701]

Let that be a Lesson to you good people:

Never - OK? - NEVER tell your employer that you're not satisfied working there. Alright? Never let those words escape your lips. Swallow hard and choke them down. Whatever it is you have to do. But don't ever give such sentiments utterance ... not even on your personal site!

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

 

[2takesfrakes]

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.

 

[Robert Comsol]

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.

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

Bob

 

[2takesfrakes]

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.

 

[Yanks]

I feel sorry for her. She made a wrong choice that's she's regretted ever since.

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

I liked her as Tasha Yar. I completely dislike her as Sela. She just cannot play that character at all! Zero credibility.

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.