- "Star Trek" actress Patti Yasutake has died.
American actress Patti Yasutake has passed away. She was widely recognized as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa from the science fiction series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994). Multiple U.S. media outlets report that the actress died on Monday in Los Angeles from cancer, according to her longtime manager. She was 70 years old.
Yasutake, who began her career in theater, enjoyed a successful four-decade television career from the mid-1980s. She had numerous guest appearances in shows like "T.J. Hooker," "Trapper John, M.D.," "Who's the Boss?," and "Pretty Little Liars."
However, Yasutake is perhaps best remembered for her role as Nurse Ogawa in 16 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." She also reprised the role in the spin-offs "Star Trek: Generations" and "Star Trek: First Contact."
On the website startrek.com, editor Christine Dinh wrote that Ogawa was one of only two Asian characters to appear regularly in the series. "A rarity at a time when there were so few Asian faces on Western screens that I could count them on one hand."
Yasutake's television career took a significant turn with her role in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," where she became widely known as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa. Despite her passing, her impact on the series as a rare Asian character with regular appearances remains prominent.
