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Actress Patti Yasutake, best known to Trekkies as Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, died on August 5, 2024, of a rare type of T-cell lymphoma. She was 70 years old. 

Nurse Ogawa first appeared on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the episode "Future Imperfect" more or less as a background character. She was one of Dr. Crusher's retinue of medical staff, there to give viewers the impression that the ship's sickbay was constantly bustling. She went on to star in 14 additional episodes of the show, and was usually merely standing next to Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden), passing her tools or saying "Yes, Doctor." She had a good bedside manner, and her repeated appearances had viewers wondering who she was and what her story might be. As the series progressed, Nurse Ogawa's role expanded incrementally, eventually leading to her becoming a legitimate supporting player. 

Indeed, by the show's seventh season, Nurse Ogawa began to...

Patti Yasutake, a Los Angeles-based stage and screen vet known for work on Netflix’s “Beef” and a number of “Star Trek” franchises, died Monday at age 70, TheWrap has confirmed.

The news came after a long battle with cancer, her manager Kyle Fritz said. He also shared that a memorial service honoring her work and life is forthcoming at L.A.’s East West Players, her longtime theater home.

Yasutake, who was born on Sept. 6, 1953, was raised in L.A. cities Gardena and Inglewood and later attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she graduated with honors. Yasutake is also the sister of Irene Hirano Inouye, the founding president of the U.S.-Japan Council.

Yasutake went on to perform at East West Players, which the nation’s longest-running Asian American theater. While there, she worked under the theater’s cofounder and longtime actor Mako (“The Perfect Weapon”) for six years.

A couple months after spotlighting the world’s greatest actress, the Criterion Channel have taken a logical next step towards America’s greatest actress. May (or: next week) will bring an eleven-film celebration of Jennifer Jason Leigh, highlights including Verhoeven’s Flesh + Blood, Miami Blues, Alan Rudolph’s Mrs. Parker, her directorial debut The Anniversary Party, and Synecdoche, New York, and a special introduction from Leigh. Another actor’s showcase localizes directorial collaborations: Jimmy Stewart’s time with Anthony Mann, an eight-title series boasting the likes of Winchester ’73 and The Man from Laramie. Two more: a survey of ’80s Asian-American cinema (Chan Is Missing being the best-known) and 14 movies by Seijun Suzuki.

That would be enough for one month (or two), but No Bears and Cette maison will have their streaming premieres, while Criterion Editions offers the Infernal Affairs trilogy (plus its packed set), Days of Heaven, and the aforementioned Chan Is Missing.

Pacific Arts Movement (presenters of the San Diego Asian Film Festival) has curated a special collection of films that will celebrate the elders in the Asian community during its 10th Spring Showcase. The presentation includes three films: “The Wash“, “Cosmopolitan“, and “And Thereafter”. The films are available to stream online from April 23 through May 2 nationwide. Never before released on DVD, “The Wash” and “Cosmopolitan” (converted from Laser Disk technology) — a special feature of the presentation that remembers what life used to be like, especially for the very elders that this presentation aims to celebrate. With films from 3 different countries, “Songs Our Elders Taught Me” will be an exploration of the unique stories of love, history, and culture of the elders in our community and provide a space for these stories to be told.

This festival, historically the largest platform of Asian cinema on the west coast, strives to represent the...