'Star Trek' And 'Beef' Star Patti Yasutake Passes Away At 70

TV & Film

Aug 8

Star Trek: The Next Generation and Beef fans were saddened by the news of Patricia Sue Yasutake’s passing. Patti Yasutake was 70 and passed away from cancer on August 5, 2024.

Yasutake was born in Los Angeles, California on September 6, 1953. The actress began her acting career around age 32, with a bit part in a 1985 episode of T.J. Hooker alongside William Shatner. Her first major role was in 1986 as Umeki Kazihiro in the film Gung Ho and its later TV series. The actress continued with minor parts in a variety of shows and movies, including Mr. Belvedere, Tales of Meeting and Parting, and Dangerous Minds in the 1980s. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the category Best Supporting Female for her role in 1988’s The Wash.

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Patti and McFadden — Image Source: YouTube

Patti Yasutake was best known for her portrayal of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, a recurring character in The Next Generation. Yasutake appeared as Ogawa for sixteen episodes from season four on. Ogawa was originally meant to be a smaller role, but writer Rene Echevarria commented, “We were always very fond of the actress [Patti Yasutake] and felt she never had enough to do.” She had an in-character role in one of the Hallmark commercials for Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise Keepsake ornament in 1994. Yasutake also returned for two of the Star Trek films that followed The Next Generation, Star Trek Generations (1994) and Star Trek: First Contact (1996).

After The Next Generation, Yasutake continued her career in film, television, and theater. Her directorial credits and stage roles included Doughball, The Single Man, and Father, I Must Have Rice. Most recently, she starred in the first season of Beef, where she played Fumi, the mother-in-law of Ali Wong’s character, Amy.

Patti in Star Trek — Image Source: The Trek BBS

Her manager of thirty years, Kyle Fritz, shared the news of her passing: “We enjoyed every day we got to work together, and I will miss her spirit, talent, and tenacity, but most of all, her friendship.”

There will be a public memorial for Patti Yasutake on August 25, 2024, from 1:00-3:00 pm at her theater company in Los Angeles, the East West Players. Her family has requested that, instead of flowers, contributions may be made to the East West Players.