More Star Trek? Well, like all of us, Gates McFadden is up for it! Trek Central had the pleasure of speaking with the legendary actress. The topic of our conversation covers the brand new season of her podcast, “Gates McFadden InvestiGates”, as well as some Star Trek-related discussions, of course. You can read on, or click play on the YouTube video below to watch the interview.
Produced by The Nacelle Company, McFadden’s podcast is now in its third season. In the podcast sessions, Gates McFadden sits down for one-to-one interviews with Star Trek alumni to speak candidly about their lives, careers, inspirations, and dreams. Previous guests include LeVar Burton, Kate Mulgrew, Doug Jones, and many other iconic Star Trek stars.
Beaming Down with Gates McFadden
Jack: Gates, thank you so much for joining us on Trek Central today. Let’s talk about the podcast. What made you want to start this podcast?
Gates: It was Nacelle Productions; it was Brian Volk-Weiss who asked me. He said, “I’d like you to do a podcast”, my first reaction was “What, why?”. He was very persistent. I have found that in my life I have said no to many things that have turned out to be gifts. So I started to realize I was doing the same thing. When he kept coming back I went “Okay, alright, I’m gonna try it”. His belief in me was quite lovely. He had me do voiceovers and we ended up collaborating on ‘The Center Seat‘ [series]. I had so much fun doing the narration and helping to get people involved. So I have a nice working relationship with Nacelle. I feel very lucky.
Jack: We’re into Season 3 of the podcast now. You’ve spoken to some fantastic people over the last two seasons, who can we expect to hear from this season?
Gates: I have some amazing people. Sonquea Marting-Green, David Ajala, Ethan Peck, and Michelle Hurd – I have just some amazing people… Connor Trinneer! I try to get a variety from all the different [Star Trek] shows. We don’t want it to just be a bunch of people from Star Trek: Discovery. I like getting to know people from all the different shows because I really like them all. There are so many people I would still like to speak with. I loved the cast of Star Trek: Lower Decks. That show was superb; I don’t know why it got canceled. Michelle Yeoh is doing a film!
What has become clear to me is the range of actors in all these different shows. You would think there would be a bad apple in one of the groups, but I have yet to meet someone I didn’t actually, really like. The casting folks do a fantastic job with these shows. There is something about the energy, and we feel it at conventions. People are very nice, very funny, very friendly and they give a shit. That is kinda great, right?
It’s been a pleasure. I feel I’ve relaxed much more in this season. In the other seasons, I was like “Can I really do this”? Now I’m really enjoying it. It’s like when you sit down on an airplane and you don’t know the person next to you. Then you start talking, and suddenly you know a lot more about them. You have a commonality with that person. That I have always loved, there is something about that feeling I get doing this podcast.
Jack: Can you tease any of the conversation topics of the upcoming season?
Gates: I’ve asked some people “How do you make your hard decisions, what is your process?”. There are so many decisions we have to make today. So much comes at us that we have to decide on. How do you do that with your home life, your work, or your performative life? How do you make your tough decisions? I also like when we talk about family, upbringing, and background. It can tell me a lot about a person. Even what kind of games they played as a child tells me something about them because I remember so well what I played when I was little. It was so much a part of who I am.
Jack: Could you tell us what games you played growing up?
Gates: I was into building houses with rocks. I’d be given dolls and I would spend all my time building houses for my dolls. I only had my brother to play with so we would build army forts. I loved that urban planning in the dirt pile, I loved it. Those were my favorite memories of play. I loved treasure hunting with all the dumb rocks in our driveway, convinced there would be gold, and spent hours collecting stuff. I think building was something I liked to do a lot.
Photo Credit: Trae Patton/Paramount+
Looking Back at InvestiGates
Jack: The past two seasons of the podcast are available now, but can I ask which episode is your favorite? Or if there was a favorite moment from them?
Gates: Oh that is tough because I have really had fun. There have been moments where I would just start wildly laughing. I think my double episode with Wil Wheaton was a lot of fun, I thought he would be tricky. Even though I dearly love my space son. So I wanted to play games because I knew he was a games master. I thought let’s do ‘never have I ever’. And it turned out to be a lot of fun, I got some surprising answers from that one.
I also felt the double episode with Nana Visitor was very powerful. I went with my instinct. As I said in the second podcast, I was shaking on my way home, driving home. I felt I had to call her and say, “I’m suddenly affected in a way that I wasn’t the first time you told it. Would you be willing to come back and I’d love to discuss this?” Because it really was, it was a major physical feeling I was having. And I knew that that was reflective of what was going on in my processing of the information. So that was wonderful as well.
But then there’s also the time when John de Lancie didn’t want to get off. He was enjoying the podcast interview and he said, “No, let’s go on”. And I said okay. And then I said some question, a serious question. He took the perfect comic-timing beat and said, “Well, maybe I do have to go”, and I just lost it with laughter. I mean that was just perfect.
Jack: Would you say the podcast gets more personal than a typical video podcast because there isn’t a camera? In a way, you’re able to have that more open conversation.
Gates: Well, I think you can go there. I think you can go deeper but you know, I don’t, I’m not the judge of that. It feels very intimate at times and I like that. I like that someone feels comfortable, especially when we’re in the studio together and we’re looking at each other. We’re looking at each other, we’re not looking at a screen. And there’s the difference, like I’m looking at your face but I can’t actually see your eyes.
So there is a difference, but I know that people who seem to like it feel that it’s something that they can fall into. It’s like it becomes a deeper conversation. I’m not saying it can’t happen on camera, because it obviously can. But I think that’s the way I’ve chosen to do it up until now. I’m not saying I’ll never change my mind, but that’s where I am now. I hope people like it that way.
Photo Credit: Trae Patton/Paramount+.
Beaming Back To Star Trek
Jack: After Star Trek: Picard Season 3, which was fantastic, and we saw Dr. Crusher back doing some amazing things, fans seem very excited about future adventures. We hear whispers of a Star Trek Legacy. Would you like to return as Crusher once again if given the opportunity?
Gates: Oh, of course. Especially with two very different sons, I think it would be really interesting. And I still feel that the character was not… we never saw enough of how she actually deals with her sons. How you actually have to mentor your sons. She was a single parent and I know from single parents that they really are involved in the major decisions that someone goes through in their lives.
So, yeah, I think there would be a lot of material. I don’t think it is going to happen particularly, but I would love it to. And we could always do The Crushers, we could do The Crusher Comedy Hour.
Jack: I’d personally love that. Gates, where can we find your podcast?
Gates: They can find it on all the normal websites Amazon, Spotify, Apple… I mean all of the usual suspects. Search for ‘Gates McFadden InvestiGates – Who Do You Think You Are?’
Set Course for Investigates Season 3!
The first four episodes of the new season of the acclaimed podcast Gates McFadden: InvestiGates – Who Do You Think You Are? were released on November 12th, 2024. However, you don’t have to wait long for the second episode batch brought to you by the Nacelle Company as they are released on December 3rd. All episodes will be available via all the major podcasting platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.
Upcoming guests on the third season of the podcast include the likes of Todd Stashwick, Michelle Hurd, Connor Trinneer, and more!
This Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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