Beverly Crusher is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise played by Gates McFadden. Debuting in the television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, McFadden appeared in every season except for the second, as well as its spin-off feature films: Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek: Nemesis. McFadden returned to the role for the filming of the third season of Star Trek: Picard. Crusher was the chief medical officer of the Enterprise-D and Enterprise-E, two starships in the Star Trek universe. Casting Gates McFadden was reluctant to accept the role of Dr. Crusher because of her commitment to appear in the play The Matchmaker at the La Jolla Playhouse. During the second season, the character was written out of the series, with the explanation that she "was off heading up Starfleet Medical for the year." Producer Rick Berman has said that McFadden left due to her disputes with the head TNG writer at the time, Maurice Hurley. She was replaced by the louder, more opinionated Dr. Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur). Patrick Stewart was upset by McFadden's departure and played a large part in bringing about her return after Hurley left at the end of the second season. Early life Beverly Crusher was born Beverly Howard on October 13, 2324, in Copernicus City, Luna. Her ancestors were Scottish-Americans. Following the death of her parents when she was very young, she lived with her grandmother, Felisa Howard, on Arvada III, a colony planet, until a moon collision caused the planet to flood, forcing its evacuation. Resourceful Felisa, with her granddaughter's aid, used herbs, grasses, tree chemicals, and roots as medicines when synthetic medicines ran out for the injured. During her youth, Beverly was known as quiet, shy, and socially awkward. She was also very self-conscious about her bright red hair, and at the age of 13, attempted to dye it dark with disastrous results. She admits to Data later, in the episode "Offspring", that she was often ridiculed, unpopular in school, and it had been very painful for her. She also admits that it brought back painful memories of those years when she saw her son Wesley going through similar ridicule as a child. It was her grandmother's career as a healer and Beverly's own caring, high intelligence, and sensitivity that largely sparked Beverly's lifelong interest in medicine and healing the sick and wounded.