# Denise Crosby
**Denise Crosby** (born 1957 in Hollywood, California) is an American actress best known for playing Lieutenant Tasha Yar, chief of security on *Star Trek: The Next Generation*, and for the documentary *[Trekkies](https://www.edgepedia.org/trekkies-film)*, which she produced and starred in. Her television work also includes recurring roles on *Ray Donovan* and *Suits*, and an appearance on *The Walking Dead*, and her feature films include *48 HRS.*, *Pet Sematary*, *Jackie Brown*, and *Deep Impact*.[1](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957, Hollywood, California[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) |
| Family | Granddaughter of singer and actor Bing Crosby; daughter of Dennis Crosby[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/off-hollywood-denise-crosby/) |
| Signature role | Lieutenant Tasha Yar on *Star Trek: The Next Generation*; left the series after one season, in 1988[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) |
| Returns to Star Trek | Reprised Yar in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and the series finale "All Good Things...", and played Yar's half-Romulan daughter Sela in "The Mind's Eye," "Redemption," and "Unification"[4](https://comicbook.com/startrek/news/star-trek-the-next-generation-marina-sirtis-fired-denise-crosby/) |
| Documentaries | Produced and starred in *Trekkies* (1997) and *Trekkies 2*[1](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby) |
| Later television | Recurring roles on *Southland* (2009–2013) and *Ray Donovan*; played Faye Richardson in the final season of *Suits*[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) • [5](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/denise-crosby-suits/) |
## Early life and family
Crosby was born into the entertainment industry as the granddaughter of [Bing Crosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/bing-crosby) and the daughter of [Dennis Crosby](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-crosby), and she has said that Playboy is kind of what started my acting career.[3](https://www.vice.com/en/article/off-hollywood-denise-crosby/) She began her on-screen career in the late 1970s, working in largely decorative roles for directors including [Blake Edwards](https://www.edgepedia.org/blake-edwards), her future father-in-law, and Walter Hill.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby)
## Star Trek: The Next Generation
When Crosby auditioned for *Star Trek: The Next Generation* in 1986, she was more interested in the role of Counselor Deanna Troi than in security chief [Tasha Yar](https://www.edgepedia.org/tasha-yar), the part she was cast in.[6](https://www.slashfilm.com/1650253/denise-crosby-star-trek-tasha-yar-actress-exit-return-explained/) Yar was introduced as one of the show's main characters, and Crosby described it as significant to see a woman in a job traditionally held by a man.[7](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-17-ca-58917-story.html)
**Departure.** After a few months, Crosby found the character reduced to standing in the background and supporting the male characters in front of her; not content to be what she called the "token hot blonde," she asked to be written out.[6](https://www.slashfilm.com/1650253/denise-crosby-star-trek-tasha-yar-actress-exit-return-explained/) Yar was killed suddenly by the tar creature Armus in the first-season episode "Skin of Evil," without heroism or ceremony, a death that shocked viewers and raised the stakes for the series.[6](https://www.slashfilm.com/1650253/denise-crosby-star-trek-tasha-yar-actress-exit-return-explained/) Crosby left the series in 1988.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) In a 2012 StarTrek.com interview, asked whether she would make the same choice again, she answered yes: "For me, I was miserable. I couldn't wait to get off that show."[8](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/104804/whats-the-story-behind-the-departure-of-tasha-yar-denise-crosby)
Her departure affected the rest of the cast. [Marina Sirtis](https://www.edgepedia.org/marina-sirtis), speaking at Star Trek Las Vegas, said that Crosby's leaving meant there was no longer "one too many women" on the show, and credited Crosby with saving her job.[4](https://comicbook.com/startrek/news/star-trek-the-next-generation-marina-sirtis-fired-denise-crosby/) [Michael Dorn](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-dorn), whose [Worf](https://www.edgepedia.org/worf) took over security duties, said in a TrekMovie interview that his role expanded with Crosby's departure and that Tasha Yar had been an extremely popular character.[9](https://trektoday.com/content/2021/01/dorn-replacing-crosby-and-joining-deep-space-nine/)
**Returns.** Crosby returned to the franchise repeatedly. She reprised Yar in the acclaimed episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" and in the series finale "All Good Things...", and played Yar's half-Romulan daughter Sela in "The Mind's Eye," "Redemption," and "Unification."[4](https://comicbook.com/startrek/news/star-trek-the-next-generation-marina-sirtis-fired-denise-crosby/) She has said that coming back for "Yesterday's Enterprise" brought her back to [Star Trek](https://www.edgepedia.org/star-trek) and spawned the Sela character.[10](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trektalk/crosby.htm) Frequent convention appearances and participation in related video games and fan projects have kept her in good standing with the franchise's devotees.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby)
## Trekkies and the fan community
Crosby embraced her Star Trek legacy by producing and starring in *Trekkies* (1997) and *Trekkies 2*, documentaries about the fan community.[1](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby) Rotten Tomatoes describes the pair as affectionately tongue-in-cheek looks at the diverse and offbeat fauna within the Trek fan community.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) Although she was on the show for less than one season plus later guest appearances, she has remained closely linked with Star Trek, much to her own delight.[10](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trektalk/crosby.htm)
## Later career
After leaving the series, Crosby found steady work in features and episodic television, defying predictions of immediate obsolescence.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) Her film credits include *Pet Sematary* (1989), *Deep Impact* (1998), and *Jackie Brown* (1998), and her highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is *48 HRS.* (1983) at 92 percent.[1](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) On television she had recurring roles on *Southland* and *Ray Donovan*, and appeared in *The Walking Dead*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby) • [1](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby)
In the final season of the USA network series *[Suits](https://www.edgepedia.org/suits-american-tv-series)*, she played Faye Richardson, a character who arrived in the season premiere and immediately shook things up. She won the part through a standard audition; series creator Aaron Korsh saw her tape and cast her.[5](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/denise-crosby-suits/) Even with an extensive list of credits, she has said she still occasionally has to audition, though once in a while a role comes as a straight offer.[5](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/denise-crosby-suits/)
## References
1. [Denise Crosby, D&I CON guest biography](https://dnicon.org/denise-crosby)
2. [Denise Crosby, Rotten Tomatoes celebrity profile](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/denise_crosby)
3. [Off Hollywood – Denise Crosby, Vice](https://www.vice.com/en/article/off-hollywood-denise-crosby/)
4. ['Star Trek: The Next Generation' Star Believes They Were Nearly Fired in Season 1, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/startrek/news/star-trek-the-next-generation-marina-sirtis-fired-denise-crosby/)
5. [Interview: Denise Crosby on 'Suits', Her Career and the "Beauty" of Acting, Daily Actor](https://www.dailyactor.com/interview/denise-crosby-suits/)
6. [Why Star Trek's Tasha Yar Actress Denise Crosby Left & Later Returned, SlashFilm](https://www.slashfilm.com/1650253/denise-crosby-star-trek-tasha-yar-actress-exit-return-explained/)
7. [Denise Crosby Treks to Stage Center, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-17-ca-58917-story.html)
8. [What's the story behind the departure of Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby)?, Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange, quoting a 2012 StarTrek.com interview](https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/104804/whats-the-story-behind-the-departure-of-tasha-yar-denise-crosby)
9. [Dorn: Replacing Crosby And Joining Deep Space Nine, TrekToday](https://trektoday.com/content/2021/01/dorn-replacing-crosby-and-joining-deep-space-nine/)
10. [Denise Crosby's Trekkies, The Littlereview](https://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trektalk/crosby.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Co to C*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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