Diana Muldaur is famous in Star Trek circles as the middle-aged, short haired & somewhat strict Chief Medical Officer Dr. Katherine Pulaski in Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She was a tough dame, meant to bring memories of Dr. “Bones” McCoy of the original series. The story goes like this, after Gates McFadden was fired, the writers brought about a storyline of Dr. Beverly Crusher, who started out as the CMO on Enterprise, taking a break from her role on the ship to become head of Starfleet Medical. The writer/producers behind TNG wanted an older & tougher doctor, who would stand up to Captain Picard and more than hold her own. Her no-nonsense attitude & crustiness also shows a lack of tact when it came to her not being comfortable with the android DATA and even treating him a just a machine. She however warms up to him later in the season. She’s also shown to give Lt. Worf a tough time.
However, even though the critics loved her, she proved to be less popular with the fans an left at the end of season 2 and Gates was bought back as Dr. Crusher. However did you know that Diana also played two roles in The Original series? Yes, and both times she played two different doctors. Take a look at her in this picture – this blond haired, light-eyed and pouty lipped beauty is the same actress that played the almost matronly Dr. Pulaski!
She was curvaceous and gorgeous as Dr. Ann Mulhall in Return To Tomorrow (remember she was 30 in this episode & 50 when she started appearing as Dr. Pulaski in TNG), who served as an astrobiologist aboard the USS Enterprise. She is new aboard the starship and joins Captain Kirk, Spock, McCoy on a planet who’s inhabitants died out centuries ago. However, a scientist Sargon & his wife Thalassa had downloaded their consciousness s into a sphere shaped object through which they can communicate and can control matter. They wish to ‘borrow’ Kirk’s & Dr.Mulhall’s bodies for a while, as they craft new android bodies for themselves; Kirk & the lovely doctor being the most compatible. Along with them is former enemy Henoch, who has more evil ideas, and finds a compatible body in Spock’s. Needless to say while their consciousness is transferred, Henoch tries to kill Sargon and take Spock’s body as his own. Sargon & Thalassa are able to trick & defeat Henoch and return Kirk’s & Muhall’s bodies back to them.