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 Dr.
Katherine Pulaski
Dr. Katherine Pulaski comes aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC- 1701-D
in 2365 to replace Dr. Beverly Crusher, who has left to take up a
post as head of Starfleet Medical. Pulaski is an accomplished doctor
who has served on the U.S.S. Repulse NCC-2544 and, earlier in her
career, wrote 'Linear Models of Viral Propagation', which is the
standard text on the topic. She is an expert heart surgeon. Dr.
Pulaski often becomes very involved with her patients, and her
compassion is one of her greatest attributes. The doctor is fond of
saying that when her patients hurt, she hurts. She's been known to
prescribe 'PCS' - Pulaski's Chicken Soup - to patients with a cold.
She is an innovative and experienced doctor and is even familiar
with old- fashioned treatments such as splints. For all her
scientific knowledge and confidence, Dr. Pulaski worries that
someday a transporter will scatter her molecules across the Galaxy,
and she prefers to travel primarily on shuttlecrafts, in fact, she
uses one when she transfers to the Enterprise. She has been married
three times and remains on good terms with all of her former
husbands. One of her most significant relationships is with Will
Riker's father, Kyle, whom she cared for after he was nearly killed
in a Tholian attack in 2353. She had never seen anyone fight so hard
for his life. The two fell in love and she would have married him
"in a cold minute" if he'd asked her to. But the often stubborn and
arrogant Kyle Riker never did. When Dr. Pulaski heard of an opening
on the Enterprise, she put in a request for a transfer at once. She
is an admirer of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and is well acquainted
with his service record.
 Diana
Muldaur
BORN: New York, New York, USA
DATE OF BIRTH: August 19, 1938
Actress Diana Muldaur (Dr. Katherine Pulaski) is no stranger to Star
Trek, having appeared in two Original Series episodes, "Is There In
Truth No Beauty?" and "Return to Tomorrow."
Muldaur has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows over the course
of her distinguished career, beginning with the 1954 TV series The
Secret Storm. She has since starred or guest starred in some of the
most memorable television shows ever broadcast, from Star Trek to
L.A. Law. In 1986, Muldaur starred in the acclaimed series A Year in
the Life, which she described as "a very important part of my life.
And a very important product for America." Diana achieved
recognition for her portrayal of "Alice" opposite Richard Kiley.
Other career highlights for Muldaur include the series Born Free,
which took her to Africa for a year. Her career in television began
to take off with a series called The Survivors, co-starring Lana
Turner, George Hamilton and Ralph Bellamy. She also won recognition
for her role opposite Dennis Weaver in the NBC series McCloud. She
also had a recurring role in The Tony Randall Show.
Diana's film credits include: "The Swimmer" with Burt Lancaster; "McQ"
with John Wayne; "Number One" with Charlton Heston; "One More Train
to Rob" with George Peppard and "The Lawyer" with Barry Newman.
Her passion for acting started very early and by the age of 15,
Diana was spending her vacations doing summer stock theatre in Cape
Cod and Martha's Vineyard. She went to college intent on studying
art history, but ultimately switched majors and graduated with a
degree in drama. Her first professional link to the theatre was with
APA, a theatre group based in New York and New Jersey that recreated
classics. Earning $25 a week, Diana did "The Balcony" at the Circle
and the Square Theatre, her first Off-Broadway play.
On Broadway, Diana appeared in "Seidman & Son" with Sam Levine,
"Poor Bitos" with Donald Pleasance, and a play called "A Very Rich
Woman." Although she was not ready to leave the theatre completely,
Diana became fascinated with the film world and started commuting to
the West Coast while still performing in plays back East.
Diana was the first woman to hold the prestigious position of
President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Previous
to that, she served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
As an alumna of Sweet Briar College, Muldaur was among the first to
receive the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award at the school's
convocation ceremony.
Unlike the other cast members, Diana was able to view the first
season of Star Trek: The Next Generation before joining the crew.
During that first season, she became a fan of the show and welcomed
the chance to join the crew. Diana then made a lasting mark with the
role of Dr. Pulaski in the second season of ST: TNG.
Since leaving ST: TNG, Diana has appeared in, among other projects,
the series Hearts Are Wild and the TV movie "The Return of Sam
McCloud." |
