Biography

Best known for her portrayal as "Nurse Alyssa Ogawa" on Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987). She first appeared in the season 4 episode, Future Imperfect (1990) and was a recurring guest star until the end of the series, getting larger roles in the seventh season, most notably on the episode, Lower Decks (1994). She can also be seen in the motion pictures, Star Trek : Générations (1994) and Star Trek : Premier Contact (1996).

During the last season on Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987), she was in a Hallmark commercial for an Enterprise Christmas ornament. She did the commercial as "Alyssa Ogawa", her character on "Star Trek". In the commercial, she is in her quarters asking the computer questions about the ornament.

In January of 2009, Diamond Select Toys released a 7-inch action figure in her likeness of her character, Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, from Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987).

Was considered for the role of Keiko O'Brien on Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987), before it went to Rosalind Chao. Yasutake then received the role of Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, appearing in sixteen episodes of the series and two 'Trek' films.

Appeared at the Gala opening of "Star Trek The Tour" on January 17, 2008 in Long Beach, California.

[about her character, "Nurse Alyssa Ogawa", on Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987)] I told George Takei that Ogawa was his great-granddaughter, and he said, 'Not too great, please; I'm not that old!'

[on how often she worked on Star Trek] I never knew when they'd want me. When I came back the second time I worked with Jonathan again, so I thought he was a good luck charm. After that there would be a month or two in between shows, and you never knew what they were going to write down the road. So there was no expectation on my part, which was probably a healthy thing; it wasn't until I got some thread of a storyline that I really allowed myself to feel a real part of the show; to be honest with you.

[on how she got involved with Star Trek] I had been reading for the show for a number of other episodes and characters and they actually hired me at one point to be on the bridge, but I was doing a commercial and I couldn't get out of the contract; it was a multiple-day shoot and I had already gone on camera one of the days, so they weren't able to release me. I was heartbroken, because I really wanted to be on the show!

[on how she got the part of "Nurse Alyssa Ogawa" on Star Trek: La nouvelle génération (1987)] There was a role in sickbay, so I read for it and got the part. I thought I would probably never come back because, on the show, everybody had aged and so I'd be a little girl when they went back to real time, but on the set, that day, Jonathan Frakes said, 'Oh, you'll be back!' Then, sure enough, a few episodes, later, they called me. I guess I got a little bit of help from above or something because, had they put me on the bridge, I probably wouldn't have been with the show long!

In this business you're selling who you are to a large degree; although you're playing other characters you bring those elements to the table, and it gets very limiting if producers think that a character must have strong cultural traits or must be a man or a woman. But I've been very lucky in that at times I've been cast in a role that was perhaps initially intended for a man, and it's been very nice that they'll consider other options; same thing, I think, with the cultural issue in that very often a part wasn't necessarily intended that way but then they've been open enough to consider it.