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“Star Trek: The Next Generation” is widely celebrated today as a groundbreaking sci-fi series that revolutionized television and restored the genre’s prestige. However, the series’ inception was marked by significant uncertainty and risk, primarily because it sought to reinvent a beloved classic with a fiercely dedicated fan base. A closer look at its development reveals just how daring the project was. Take, for instance, the original concept for Counselor Deanna Troi, portrayed by Marina Sirtis: she was initially envisioned as a triple-breasted alien officer, a concept that raised many eyebrows.
Paramount
D.C. Fontana, a writer who had previously contributed to the original “Star Trek” series, was instrumental in refining the show’s direction and promptly revised Troi’s character. In a 2007 retrospective with Entertainment Weekly, Fontana explained, “I objected to Troi having three breasts. I felt women have enough trouble with two. And how are you going to line them up? Vertically, horizontally, or what? I was like, please, don’t go there. And they didn’t, fortunately.”
While the idea of a triple-breasted character might seem absurd, it highlights creator Gene Roddenberry’s fixation on incorporating sexual elements into the series, which almost led to Troi’s exclusion from the show. Despite these initial missteps, Troi evolved into a well-rounded character, transcending the superficial role she might have otherwise played.
The early iterations of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” diverged significantly from the version that premiered in “Encounter at Farpoint.” Many character names and actors differed from the final cast. For example, Dr. Crusher’s son was initially named Leslie. Notably, Deanna Troi was first envisioned as a tall blonde, with Denise Crosby originally considered for the role, who ultimately portrayed Lt. Tasha Yar.
According to D.C. Fontana, Tasha Yar was initially designed as a Latina character, and “Aliens” actress Jenette Goldstein was considered for the part. However, Goldstein did not fit the character’s description. “The original description of Troi was this cool, Icelandic blonde,” Denise Crosby recalled in the 2007 Entertainment Weekly interview. “Almost Spock-like.”
Troi was almost played by another TNG regular
Paramount
Ironically, Marina Sirtis auditioned for the role of Yar. During the casting process, Gene Roddenberry suggested swapping the actors’ roles, leading to Sirtis securing the part of Deanna Troi, while Crosby became Tasha Yar. Although Crosby departed the series after the first season, her early exit adding her to the list of “Star Trek” characters who left too soon, the casting decisions ultimately proved to be successful, resonating with fans who appreciated the final lineup.
As D.C. Fontana describes it, Yar was originally intended to be a Latina character, and “Aliens” star Jenette Goldstein was in line to fill the part. But Goldstein, Fontana noted, wasn’t Latina, nor was she anything like the character described on the page. “The original description of Troi was this cool, Icelandic blonde,” actor Denise Crosby told Entertainment Weekly in 2007. “Almost Spock-like.”
Ironically, it was Marina Sirtis who came in to audition for Yar. “Somewhere, about the second or third audition, Gene Roddenberry had this idea: Let’s just switch them and see what happens.” What happened was that Sirtis snagged the role of Deanna Troi, with Crosby stepping into the boots of Tasha Yar. And while Crosby split from the series at the end of Season 1, joining the ranks of “Star Trek” characters who died too soon, fans no doubt agree that the ultimate casting choices were the right way to go.
