Actress Diana Muldaur (Dr. Katherine Pulaski) is no stranger to Star Trek, having appeared in two Original Series episodes, "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" and "Return to Tomorrow."
Muldaur has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows over the course of her distinguished career, beginning with the 1954 TV series The Secret Storm. She has since starred or guest starred in some of the most memorable television shows ever broadcast, from Star Trek to L.A. Law. In 1986, Muldaur starred in the acclaimed series A Year in the Life, which she described as "a very important part of my life. And a very important product for America." Diana achieved recognition for her portrayal of "Alice" opposite Richard Kiley.
Other career highlights for Muldaur include the series Born Free, which took her to Africa for a year. Her career in television began to take off with a series called The Survivors, co-starring Lana Turner, George Hamilton and Ralph Bellamy. She also won recognition for her role opposite Dennis Weaver in the NBC series McCloud. She also had a recurring role in The Tony Randall Show.
Diana's film credits include: "The Swimmer" with Burt Lancaster; "McQ" with John Wayne; "Number One" with Charlton Heston; "One More Train to Rob" with George Peppard and "The Lawyer" with Barry Newman.
Her passion for acting started very early and by the age of 15, Diana was spending her vacations doing summer stock theatre in Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard. She went to college intent on studying art history, but ultimately switched majors and graduated with a degree in drama. Her first professional link to the theatre was with APA, a theatre group based in New York and New Jersey that recreated classics. Earning $25 a week, Diana did "The Balcony" at the Circle and the Square Theatre, her first Off-Broadway play.
On Broadway, Diana appeared in "Seidman & Son" with Sam Levine, "Poor Bitos" with Donald Pleasance, and a play called "A Very Rich Woman." Although she was not ready to leave the theatre completely, Diana became fascinated with the film world and started commuting to the West Coast while still performing in plays back East.
Diana was the first woman to hold the prestigious position of President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Previous to that, she served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild.
As an alumna of Sweet Briar College, Muldaur was among the first to receive the prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award at the school's convocation ceremony.
Unlike the other cast members, Diana was able to view the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation before joining the crew. During that first season, she became a fan of the show and welcomed the chance to join the crew. Diana then made a lasting mark with the role of Dr. Pulaski in the second season of ST: TNG.
Since leaving ST: TNG, Diana has appeared in, among other projects, the series Hearts Are Wild and the TV movie "The Return of Sam McCloud."
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