Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) Cast Then and Now | 39 Years Later, All Still Here

#castthenandnow #happydays #classictv Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) cast then and now: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Wil Wheaton and Denise Crosby, 39 years after "Encounter at Farpoint". All nine actors from that first bridge are still with us. Here is how close each of them came to never being there. Patrick Stewart was told to wear a wig to his final audition. Marina Sirtis and Denise Crosby first read for each other's parts. LeVar Burton's visor gave him a headache every working day for about six years. Gates McFadden was not asked back after the first season - and came back. Denise Crosby asked to leave and Tasha Yar was killed off. Brent Spiner took the job because he was sure the show would not last. And Majel Barrett, Gene Roddenberry's wife and the voice of the computer, recorded it one last time ten days before she died. Which episode of The Next Generation do you still remember best, and who did you watch it with? Tell us in the comments, and tell us where you are watching from. Sources: Patrick Stewart, Making It So (2023) and Variety; Rick Berman (via Daily Beast / Mental Floss); Entertainment Weekly 2007 (casting swap); LeVar Burton on Conan O'Brien (1997) and Rolling Stone (2021); TrekMovie (Denise Crosby 2009; Spiner and Sirtis on Picard 2020); StarTrek.com (Majel Barrett, Brent Spiner); Wil Wheaton, Still Just a Geek (2022); Wikipedia for dates; 2026 convention and event listings. Chapters: 0:00 Engage, thirty-nine years later 0:40 Sold station by station 1:08 The wig from London 1:58 Patrick Stewart: Picard 2:50 Patrick Stewart today 3:24 Jonathan Frakes: seven auditions 4:08 Jonathan Frakes: the director 5:07 Marina Sirtis: the swap 6:03 Marina Sirtis: Troi 6:49 Majel Barrett: the voice of the computer 7:34 Majel Barrett: the last session 8:10 All nine are alive 8:30 LeVar Burton: the visor 9:02 LeVar Burton: Roots and Reading Rainbow 9:39 LeVar Burton today 10:16 Gates McFadden: the missing season 11:02 Gates McFadden: the return 11:40 Wil Wheaton: Still Just a Geek 12:21 Wil Wheaton: Wesley 12:59 Wil Wheaton today 13:30 Denise Crosby: Tasha Yar 14:07 Denise Crosby: killed off 14:58 Michael Dorn: 288 appearances 15:26 Michael Dorn: Worf 16:08 Brent Spiner: alive and well 16:42 Brent Spiner: Data 17:39 Brent Spiner: Data returns 18:29 The bridge, 39 years later 19:15 What viewers remember 19:45 Which episode do you remember?