Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210121
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Yet Crosby remains best known as both Enterprise-D Security Officer Tasha Yar and Tasha's half-human/half-Romulan daughter, Sela, on ``Star Trek: The Next Generation.'' It's a scenario with which Crosby is comfortable.
``I've always said that I expected `Trek' to be a big part of my life, even though I left the show after the first season. And it has,'' says the friendly, chatty actress by phone from her Los Angeles home.
``Tasha meant a lot to a lot of people and I'm grateful for that. There was a sort of diamond-in-the-rough street kid element that people just related to.''
By the end of ``Next Gen's'' first season, however, Crosby asked to be freed from her contract, arguing that she and Yar were underutilized. Gene Roddenberry, the late ``Trek'' creator and executive producer, agreed, but told her Yar would be killed off.
That meant there was no going back, literally or figuratively, for either Yar or Crosby.
``I just figured, `That's it, I'm dead,'' remembers Crosby, laughing.
And in ``Skin of Evil,'' Tasha met with a sudden, violent and purposely meaningless death.
Little did Crosby know that two season later, Yar would indeed return as Yar in the alternate-timeline episode, ``Yesterday's Enterprise,'' generally considered to be the best ``Next Gen'' adventure of all.
``That gave Tasha the chance to die with a sense of meaning,'' explains Crosby, 37.
``It was a beautiful episode, moving, exciting and with a real emotional payoff.''
Soon after, Crosby appeared in the fourth-season cliffhanger, ``Redemption I,'' and in the fifth-season entries ``Unification: Part 2'' and ``Redemption II.'' Those times, however, Crosby was portraying the villainous Sela.
In ``Unification II,'' Crosby shared the screen with Leonard Nimoy, who was reprising his role as the legendary Ambassador Spock in what was arguably the most anticipated episode in ``Next Gen's'' history.
``I watched `Star Trek' as a kid, and there I was on `Next Gen' with Leonard,'' marvels the actress. ``My episodes as Sela didn't turn out to be everything I'd hoped - I had different ideas for the character - but it was exciting to be back, to see everyone, to work with Leonard, and to play my character's daughter.''
Crosby Trekked one last time, again as Yar, in the ``Next Gen'' finale, ``All Good Things...''
In that two-hour time-tripping show, she played the Yar of yore, as seen in and before the action of the ``Encounter at Farpoint'' pilot.
These days, the Hollywood, California-born granddaughter of singer Bing Crosby maintains her ``Trek'' connection with about a half-dozen conventions appearances a year. She's also slated to read a portion of ``The Nitpicker's Guide to the Classic Trekkers Universe'' audiocassette, which should be available later this year.
Beyond her ``Trek'' experiences, Crosby has acted in such films as ``Pet Sematary'' (1989) and ``Miracle Mile'' (1989), made numerous television guest appearances and was a regular on the series ``Key West.''
She's currently preparing for TV pilot season and spending time with her boyfriend, screenwriter Ken Sylk.
Fans will next see Crosby in ``Dream Man,'' an independent film in which she stars with Andrew McCarthy and Patsy Kensit.
``It's sort of a murder mystery meets `The Eyes of Laura Mars,' '' Crosby says of the film, in which she plays Kensit's best friend and McCarthy's lover. ``It's a diabolical little story.''
Crosby expects ``Dream Man'' to be released in late 1995.
Looking further down the road, she foresees a future filled with work and family.
``Personally, I'd love to have a kid or two, and I'd like to continue to be with Ken, whom I love very much,'' she says. ``Professionally, I'm lucky enough to be working and playing a variety of roles.
``I just want to do as many interesting, different, challenging things as I possibly can.''
Judging from the number of roles she's played - both on `Trek' and off - Crosby is clearly up to the challenge.
CON CALENDAR
March 31 - April 2
I-CON XIV at SUNY Stonybrook in Stonybrook, NY, guests Andrew Robinson and Siddig El Fadil. (Call 516-632-6045).
Creation at the Civic Center in Dearborn, Mich., featuring Marina Sirtis and Nichelle Nichols. (April 1-2; call 818-409-0960).
by CNB