Patti Yasutake, Screen and Stage Vet Known for ‘Beef’ and ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 70

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.

Yasutake made her made her official leap into the film and TV industry when she starred in the police drama “T.J. Hooker” in 1985. A year later, she appeared in Ron Howard’s 1986 comedy “Gung.” She went on to nab roles in “Boston Legal,” Michael Toshiyuki Uno’s “The Wash,” “Lush Life” and more. In 1994, she was tapped to play Nurse Alyssa Ogawa in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” and she later reprised the character in breakout shows “Star Trek Generations” and “Star Trek: First Contact.”

Most recently she played Fumi, George’s mother in the Netflix limited drama series “Beef.” She’s also had roles on “Bones,” “Donato and Daughter,” “Cold Case,” “Dangerous Intentions” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Yasutake was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in 1988 for her performance in “The Wash.”

The actress is survived by her sister and brother Linda Hayashi and Steven Yasutake.

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