Denise Crosby - Then
Denise Crosby made her mark in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Natasha "Tasha" Yar. Interestingly, she had initially auditioned for a different role. Still, a casting mix-up by Gene Roddenberry led to her portrayal of the no-nonsense lieutenant responsible for security aboard the starship Enterprise
. While her character began with a prominent presence, Tasha Yar's role shifted more to the background, which Denise Crosby found limiting over time. She openly expressed her frustration, saying, "I was struggling with not being able to do much with the character. I had all these ideas and couldn't do them. I was just stage dressing."