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Patrick Stewart: ‘I’d go straight home and drink until I passed out’

As he beams aboard another Star Trek adventure, the 81-year-old actor talks about playing Picard as an intergalactic Prospero, hitting the bottle during an exhausting Macbeth – and reaching page 310 of his memoir

P atrick Stewart is slightly surprised to be talking about the impending second series of Star Trek: Picard, during a break from shooting the third in California. The reason is that he so firmly turned down the first season. After playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard, 24th-century hero of Starfleet, in 176 TV episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and four spin-off movies, Stewart was convinced that “I’d done everything I could with Picard and Star Trek”.

But the producers – Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind), Michael Chabon (Wonder Boys), Kirsten Beyer (Star Trek: Discovery), Alex Kurtzman (The Mummy) – persisted. And Stewart “took a look at the names, and there were Academy award and Pulitzer prize winners. So I thought the most courteous thing to do would be to have a meeting to tell them face to face why I was going to turn them down.”

Over coffee, he explained his refusal: been there, done that, got the nylon polo neck tunics. But the petitioners asked if they could still make a pitch. They spoke for 20 minutes, Stewart recalls on Zoom from his Los Angeles home, after which he was intrigued enough to ask if they could send him something on paper. Reading those 36 pages “convinced me that there was enough new stuff to explore”.

Their clinching argument was that both the actor and his character had been in their 50s during The Next Generation, which ended in 1994; now they were octogenarian, with Picard retired from space and in exile, for reasons gradually clarified, at his family vineyard. The show would explore the intervening decades. “And when I looked at it like that,” says Stewart, “my attention was grabbed. Because they were doing the opposite of getting me to repeat what I’d done before. We would not be treading old ground just because that’s what a lot of people might like to see. It would be a new person with a different set of values and relationships.”

Did he watch old episodes or rely on his memories? “The latter. As the seven seasons of TNG went by, the distinction between Jean-Luc Picard and Patrick Stewart became thinner and thinner, until it was impossible for me to know where he left off and I began. So much of what I believed and felt went into that show. So coming back to the part, I felt that the impact of time on Jean-Luc would just be there in where I am now. And that’s how it has felt.”

Was the deal that if anyone played the older Picard, it would be Stewart – or was there a risk of switching on to find, say, his friend Ian McKellen in the part? “Oh, I would have watched that,” Stewart laughs. “What a clever idea. No. They were absolutely clear: if I passed on it, there would be no show. And I believed them and thought that was generous.”

As a classical stage actor – his focus before the Star Trek and the X-Men franchises gave his career a more lucrative second act – Stewart had twice played Prospero in The Tempest . Did the writers deliberately intend a parallel between the old, haunted astronaut of Star Trek: Picard and Shakespeare’s exiled Duke of Milan, brooding on a desert island? “Yes!” says Stewart. “That sense of the future lacking the significance it used to have. And a genuine fear that he doesn’t know how to handle things now.”

Filmed back-to-back due to confidence in the project, the second and third seasons “show much more of the romantic and emotional life of Picard, which there was very little of in the original series. There’s an increasing feeling that he missed out on an awful lot of living.”

But wasn’t Picard’s status as a sort of space-monk, ascetic and celibate, a deliberate contrast with predecessor William Shatner’s James Tiberius Kirk, who had a new date or old flame on every planet? “Yes, that’s true. That was a factor in The Next Generation. But by the time of the sequel, we felt able to explore whether Picard might be able to find a way of living alongside someone.”

McKellen – who achieved a similar late-career screen superstardom – has spoken of the shock experienced by actors who move from classical theatre to fantasy franchises, especially the intensity of the fans. Did Stewart also find the adjustment difficult? “It’s not that I found it difficult. I just initially refused to acknowledge it. Throughout the first season of The Next Generation, I was continually getting these invitations to attend something called ‘conventions’. And my reaction was no because that had nothing to do with what I was trying to achieve: I wanted the show to have an impact on screen, not me standing on a platform talking about it.

“But at the end of the season, I accepted one in Denver. They took me to the back of this big building and I said, ‘What if no one turns up?’ And they looked at me like I was talking gibberish. I walked out and there were more than 3,000 people in this vast auditorium. And it overwhelmed me – not just the enthusiasm for my being there but an intense sense of affection and respect. Which wasn’t something I’d always experienced in this profession. After that, I’d do three or four of these conventions in each season.”

The success of The Next Generation initially led Stewart to turn down the first X-Men movie in 2000. “I said, ‘Look, I know this isn’t science fiction but it’s fantasy, and I’ve done that.’ But they persuaded me that it wouldn’t be like Star Trek, so I did it. And yet again I was proved wrong. Both shows broadened my sense of what it was to be a professional actor. I’ve been an actor since I was 18 – and I’m now 81. I think the last 10 to 15 years have had more impact on me than anything before and left me more than ever compelled to do this job.”

That period included, in theatre, an acclaimed Macbeth, a Waiting for Godot in the West End and on Broadway, and then Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land . Both the Beckett and the Pinter were as a double act with McKellen, who was also in the first X-Men film. Did he talk the reluctant Stewart into signing up? “No. This is the odd thing. Although I always admired Ian – an actor of that quality and passion, how could you not? – we didn’t really know each other well then.”

At the RSC, they tended to be playing the lead in different shows. “It’s only in the last couple of decades that we’ve become like brothers. It was due to X-Men, in fact. I’ve always been quite a shy person. But we were shooting X-Men in Toronto and in adjoining trailers at the base camp. On that kind of technically complex film, you spend far more time sitting waiting to work than working. So we’d hang out together in his trailer or my trailer and it was the element that made me most grateful for X-Men: that it brought Ian into my life. Ian was already cast in Waiting for Godot as Estragon and was looking for a Vladimir, and he chose me. In both the Beckett and the Pinter, it helped that we are able to tune into each other very easily. Although actually, we are very different people. There are many differences and distinctions.”

Apart from McKellen having been a key gay rights campaigner and Stewart being married to a third wife, Sunny, the pair are also a theatrical War of the Roses: McKellen from Lancashire (Burnley), Stewart Yorkshire-born (Kirklees). The white-rose actor laughs: “Yes. Indeed. And there’s also what Ian calls my obsession with my poor education. He won a scholarship to go to Cambridge, and I left school at 15 and two days. I was at a secondary modern school, where a great English teacher first put Shakespeare into my hands and asked me to read it aloud. But I feel a sense of intimidation at Ian’s level of education. Although I now understand he spent most of his time at Cambridge acting rather than studying.”

Although both have played Prospero and Macbeth, Stewart’s move to the US in the 1980s means that two great Shakespearean roles graced by McKellen – Hamlet and King Lear – have eluded him. Stewart, though, points out that, as McKellen last year played Hamlet again at the age of 82 , the Prince of Denmark may yet come his way. “When I heard Ian was doing that Hamlet with non-conventional casting,” says Stewart, “I asked him if I could play Ophelia because it felt absolutely natural. But the timings didn’t work out.”

Stewart has been talking to a director about the possibility of a King Lear on stage, for which he is the traditional generation and gender, although this show might also include some unusual casting. When I suggest that McKellen could play Lear’s Fool, Stewart says: “My feeling is that Ian would want to play Cordelia. I’d love to have him as my daughter. I’m just worried that stamina would be an issue. I’m not sure I could do eight shows a week as Lear; it would have to be six maximum, which may not suit producers. So it may be too late. But I feel I’d have missed out on an experience if I never play Lear.”

It is the energy and intensity of theatre that both attract and alarm him. His acclaimed Macbeth from 2007 to 2008 “ended on Broadway exactly 365 days after the first preview in Chichester. It was all I did for a year. I had difficult patches and there was a period when we were in New York that performing that play took everything I had. I would end the show emotionally exhausted, go straight home and drink alcohol until I passed out. I’d sleep for a good many hours and then find that, by about four in the afternoon, there were little stirrings of, ‘You’re going to play this great role again in a few hours.’ And I’d know it would end with me being fucked in a few hours. But it was the only way I could find to do it. And I think that year opened up new possibilities for me. Everything has to count; it’s not just fun any more.” But surely he couldn’t carry on with the burn-out-black-out-repeat of that Macbeth year? “No. I know now that I have to stop and take a break.”

The British TV section of his CV is sparse: I, Claudius, Smiley’s People, Maybury between 1976 and 1983, after which his screen work is almost all American. Could or should he have done more in the UK? “Possibly. I don’t think of them as being separate. Tomorrow, I’ll be picked up at 4.30 and taken to a Hollywood studio where I’ll be in front of cameras, which is what I’ve been doing for much of the last 40 years. But it doesn’t feel different from filming in Britain, or theatre. When the medium changes, acting still stays the same for me – which is to make it truthful.”

The nature of truthful acting has recently become disputed, with pressure for “authentic” representation rather than imaginative transformation. Stewart’s X-Men character, Professor Charles Xavier, uses a wheelchair. Some actors and commenters would now argue that an able-bodied actor should no longer play that part. What is Stewart’s view? “I think the argument, while coming from a very good place, is a resistance to creativity in the work that we do. I respect and understand the feelings but I think we would be denying people experiences and performances by saying, ‘No, no, no, it’s not appropriate you should do that.’”

The argument being that an actor can still achieve “truth” by pretending to something they have not experienced? “That’s absolutely spot on. Theatrical reality is a lot more complex than some people think. If the ‘authenticity’ rules had been in place for the last 100 years, we would have missed so many performances. I still want to explore everything as an actor.”

After shooting season three of Star Trek: Picard, he plans to take several months off to complete a memoir. He’s reached page 310 and it’s called Are You Anybody? The title has been percolating for decades. “On my first RSC opening night at Stratford-on-Avon, I was playing the Earl of somewhere in Henry IV, tiny part. There was a group of autograph-hunters at the stage door, and someone thrust the programme at me to sign, then pulled it away again and said, ‘Are you anybody?’ And I said, ‘No, nobody at all,’ and walked away. But the importance of that question has stayed with me ever since.”

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Watch CBS News

"Star Trek" actor Patrick Stewart opens up about his greatest regret, iconic career in new memoir

By Analisa Novak

October 2, 2023 / 9:34 AM EDT / CBS News

At the age of 83, Patrick Stewart is stepping into the world of literature. The actor, renowned for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the "Star Trek" series, recounts his life story in "Making It So: A Memoir."

In the book, out Tuesday, the actor gets personal and candidly addresses his greatest regret: his two failed marriages. He has since found happiness in his current marriage to Sunny Ozell, and in an interview with CBS News' Vladimir Duthiers, reflected on what he believes is the key to a successful relationship.

"I think it's being open and a good listener and to make connection. You don't have to be exactly the same but it's necessary that you can share – I think very important. So sharing and respecting," he said.

Stewart found fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," although many has doubted the series would be successful. Stewart said creator Gene Roddenberry initially turned him away. 

"He was talked into employing me by the other producers," Stewart said. 

Despite initial skepticism from Roddenberry and from his close friend, actor Ian McKellen, who also advised Stewart against taking the role, the show went on to achieve immense success and turned Stewart into a household name.

Stewart starred in the show until 1994 and later continued to make a name for himself in Hollywood, gaining further fame when he portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" series. He returned to the Starfleet in 2020 for the spinoff series: "Star Trek: Picard" on Paramount+. 

Stewart said his shift from a working class kid is due to the influence of people like his English teacher, Ceil Dormand, and Ruth Owen. He dedicated his memoir to them because they "had the biggest impact on my shifting my life from a working class boy with very little prospect to a person getting acting training with far cleverer people than I was."

Stewart said he has been an avid reader since the age of 5. He also said he had a modest upbringing and had ambition for something better — but that writing a book was never part of it. 

"Perhaps because I was too familiar with great books and knew I couldn't do that, so I just tried to create a conversation. But I was the only one talking. But as if two or three us were sitting around a fireplace with perhaps a glass of wine chattering. That what I was aiming for. I'm glad it seems to have come about," he said.

The book is published by Simon and Schuster, which is a division of CBS News' parent company Paramount Global.

Analisa Novak is a content producer for CBS News and the Emmy-award-winning "CBS Mornings." Based in Chicago, she specializes in covering live events and exclusive interviews for the show. Beyond her media work, Analisa is a United States Army veteran and holds a master's degree in strategic communication from Quinnipiac University.

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Patrick Stewart discusses how 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry 'was never comfortable with me'

In his seven-decade career, Patrick Stewart has starred as Scrooge and Macbeth on Broadway, from the tragic King Lear to King Richard in Mel Brooks' 1993 farce "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."

Of course, there's  Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" film series and even the glorious turd of a movie role,  Poop Emoji in 2017's "The Emoji Movie." 

But mostly, when his global legions of fans think of Stewart, he's bellowing "Engage!" as USS Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the  iconic "Star Trek: The Next Generation" role that made him a household name in 1987 at 46 and carried through seven indelible seasons, more than 170 episodes and four movies.

Stewart, 82, returns to his retired Starfleet commander in the third and final season of the  Paramount+ series "Star Trek: Picard" (streaming weekly on Thursdays). 

After retiring to his wine vineyard, Picard is pulled back for a secret mission, posing as a visiting dignitary aboard the USS Titan.

Stewart tells USA TODAY he's proud to return to the role that's had the greatest impact on his formidable career. "There's never been anything to compete with 'Star Trek,' in terms of interest in my work," says Stewart. "'X-Men,' yes. But it didn't have the exposure of 'Star Trek' for seven years. That's a lot."

More from Stewart (interview edited and condensed for clarity): 

More: 'Star Trek' shocker: Patrick Stewart's Picard has a son!

Question: Looking back, your 1980-era first Picard discussions with late "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry went terribly. What happened?

Answer: My first meeting in Gene's home did not go well. It lasted for 10 minutes and Gene made it clear it was over. I said goodbye. Apparently, after I left, Gene asked, 'Who the hell's idea was it to invite him?' But (producers) Robert Justman and Rick Berman convinced Gene to accept me as Picard. He was never comfortable with me.

"Star Trek: Picard" Season 3 is a "Next Generation" reunion with Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Worf (Michael Dorn) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), to name a few.

It's not a reunion; it's an emergency. This is the final hope we have with these people because the whole planet – the whole galaxy – is under threat. Profoundly serious. I was intrigued by that. And I was finally able to persuade ("Picard" executive producer Terry Matalas) that I would not wear the uniform. It's uniform-looking, but no badges. It's not his life anymore.

We briefly see that classic "Next Generation" uniform in "Picard." Did you enjoy pulling it out?

Immensely. I have my uniform in my London home in my wardrobe. And one day someone will inherit it. (Third wife Sunny Ozell, 44)  is much younger than me, she's half my age. She and her parents were devoted to "Star Trek." She might be the one.

Was it strange to not sit in the ship's captain's chair?

I had another chair to the side, never the captain's. I couldn't wait to be on the sidelines. Jean-Luc is embracing a new life.

You and Frakes have your characters de-aged digitally in one scene. How did you feel about that?

It made me uncomfortable. There was some conversation of giving me hair. That would be a good comic scene, not something we could take seriously. But the actual scene was really beautiful to play. Jon and I are a family. Some work relationships can be foul, yet creatively terrific. I once had my hands around an actor's throat. It was one of the actors I'd most admired all my life. He was a nightmare person.

The de-aging is not obvious on you. How do you stay looking so amazing?

I played soccer into my 40s and play tennis with a court at home. I love exercising, running and walking. That might play a part. I was obsessed with squash until I hurt my shoulder. I'm even thinking of playing that game – what's it called? – pickleball. Smaller court and you don't crash into walls. But, you know, I really don't know what's happened with time. I remember vividly my 40th birthday. But between then and now, it's all hazy.

And we're calling this the final season of "Picard," but you've said there's an "open door" to return, what would it take?

A challenge for Picard and "Star Trek" we've never seen before. That may not be attractive to studios. But we've touched on so much with "Picard" that I feel good. If nothing happens, it's been a very valuable way to wind up this experience.

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Published Oct 4, 2010

Sir Patrick Stewart Interview

Patrick Stewart once feared that Star Trek – and his iconic status as Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation – would prove to be an “albatross” around his neck. It didn’t turn out that way, of course. Post- Star Trek , Stewart has engaged in a remarkably expansive array of work that includes starring roles on Broadway and the West End and in films and televisions programs. His voice – that sonorous, authoritative voice – has been heard in everything from documentaries and commercials to videogames and animated shows/features. Some credits include: the blockbuster X-Men features, The Lion in Winter, Antony and Cleopatra, The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Macbeth, Eleventh Hour, Hamlet, American Dad! and Waiting for Godot.

And today, Stewart’s good fortune continues. He was knighted on June, 2, 2010, by Queen Elizabeth II, turned 70 years old on July 13, and has a slew of projects on the way, among them a new Broadway play ( A Life in the Theatre ), a PBS movie ( Macbeth ), a videogame ( Castlevania: Lords of Shadow ) and several features ( Gnomeo & Juliet, Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage and Dorothy of Oz ). StarTrek.com recently caught up with Stewart for an exclusive, extensive and revelatory conversation. Part one can be found below, and look for part two tomorrow.

The Next Generation debuted 23 years ago last week. How true is the story that you thought Next Gen would provide you with a few months work and income, and an opportunity to get a nice tan, and that you’d then head back home to England?

Stewart: Well, that is what I was advised when I was offered the role, which was on a Monday, lunchtime, and told that I had until Friday lunchtime to make a decision. I was shocked because I’d never for a moment believed that I would get cast in Star Trek. I’d been called back to Los Angeles three times from the UK for auditions. So I raced around L.A., talking to anybody I knew I had any connection with, who was in the television and film industry, asking their advice. “What should I do?” I was to discover I had to sign a six-year contract. I was very naïve about the conditions attached to series television in the U.S.A. Every single person I spoke to – agents, directors, screenwriters, other actors – said, “Oh, don’t worry about six years. You’ll be lucky to make it through the first year.” Everybody felt it was madness to try to revive an iconic series like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy’s Star Trek . So, on the basis of that advice I signed the six-year contract.

Looking back at your entire run, from the show to the features, who was Jean-Luc Picard supposed to be and who was he by the end? Also, what influence would you say you had on the character's evolution through your performances and as a result of conversations you had with (executive producer) Rick Berman and the writers over the years?

Stewart: I had dinner with Gene Roddenberry at the Bel Air Country Club the weekend before we began rehearsal for the pilot. I’d read the pilot episode, “Encounter at Farpoint,” by then and my reason for meeting with Gene was to take from him his counsel and his guidelines as to how I should develop this character. All Gene said to me was, “You know the Horatio Hornblower stories?” And I said, “I did, because I read them as a teenager and enjoyed them.” He said, “I am sending some copies around to you. Read them. That’s all you need to know.” (Laughs). Well, I did read one of the Horatio Hornblower stories and I think I got the idea of what Gene was after. In the pilot episode and throughout the first season I was following that path of a rather heroic, romantic leading officer who was on a voyage of discovery. Then, working with the writers, talking to the writers, different aspects of his character, the rather more complex and at times ambivalent aspects of his character began to emerge.

And when Gene died tragically early – and certainly tragically early in the life of Next Generation – there were some shifts after that. I had been working very closely with Rick Berman and I knew some of the things Rick was interested in, and he knew some of my passions: social issues, politics, sexual politics, and so forth. And we began to investigate those aspects of the character a little more than we had in the first couple of season. Rick was always very generous to me and took on board suggestions and discussed ideas, even down to details of dialogue. So my involvement grew and grew and grew so that by the time we got into the seventh season there was a total overlap between Jean-Luc Picard and Patrick Stewart. I no longer had to sit in my trailer getting into character. I knew this man intimately. He was very, very close to me. I don’t take credit for the creation of Jean-Luc Picard. That came from Gene and the writers at the very beginning of the production, and those who subsequently came to write for the character.

As it stands now, Nemesis is Picard’s swan song. How accepting are you of that? Or is there a part of you that wants one last crack at Picard to perhaps send him off a little more appropriately? Stewart: While we were filming Nemesis an idea was being developed by John Logan, the screenwriter of Nemesis , and Brent Spiner for a fifth and final movie. It was a very exciting idea for a screenplay. It would have been a real farewell to Next Generation , but it would have involved other historic aspects of Star Trek as well. I can’t go into details because the project wasn’t mine. When that didn’t happen, the studio announced in its own inimitable way that we were suffering from franchise fatigue and that there was to be no more, and I am absolutely content with that. I remain very proud of the work that we did, very proud of the series and the movies, but I do not wish to return to it.

Let’s talk about Macbeth. You starred in a West End version of it in 2007, then in a Brooklyn Academy of Music production in 2008, and now you, co-star Kate Fleetwood and director Rupert Goold have reunited for a PBS film adaptation that will premiere on October 6. Why was it important to you to have this production captured for posterity?

Stewart: Theater is a sort of transitory, ephemeral business and the best performances very often only live on in the memories of the people who saw them. But when something which was as successful as this Macbeth and had such an impact on stage, if there is a chance to preserve something of what was done it’s really satisfying. If you watch this PBS presentation you will see that it is much, much more than a recording of the stage production. It’s a film and it stands as a film in its own right. I am delighted with it and thrilled with the work that Rupert Goold has done.

What role in the Shakespeare canon is still on your actor’s bucket list?

Stewart: Well, of course, there are two that are absolute essentials. They are Falstaff in the Henry IV plays and, of course, Lear. Lear will have to wait a little bit, as we’ve had rather a surfeit of Lears in the UK in the last few years. But that’s no problem. The good thing about Lear is that the older you get, the more suitable you are for it, at least, as actors always point out, just so long as you can still carry Cordelia. And Falstaff is a role I must play at some point. I have always looked on Falstaff as the middle-aged actor’s Hamlet. It’s hugely complex and very diverse and, of course, very funny, too.

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The Last Word: Patrick Stewart on Picard’s Evolution, Going Bald, Helping Veterans

By Sean Woods

Sir Patrick Stewart ’s return to the Star Trek universe and the role of the captain that made him famous in Picard has been greeted with widespread critical acclaim and unbridled nerd enthusiasm. Rolling Stone’ s Alan Sepinwall hailed the show and rightly called Stewart  “far and away the best actor to be a  Star Trek  regular.” When Rolling Stone caught up with Stewart, he was behaving as you might expect of a veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company: practicing lines for a return to the stage and “sitting in my house in the country in Oxfordshire, with a nice big fire going because it’s overcast and cold.”

“I’m grateful to have somewhere like this to hide away,” he adds. “It is  pretty British.”

During our Last Word interview with Stewart, we asked the actor to look back on his career, to share some life advice and reflect on why he was willing to take on a character he’d seemed to have left behind long ago. “The fact is, 18 years have passed since I last put on Captain Picard’s uniform,” he told Rolling Stone. “And the world we’re living in is a different place.”

What was the best advice you ever received? In terms of the work that I do, Duncan Ross, a brilliant, brilliant acting teacher, gave me quite a stern talking to. He said, “Patrick, the most important thing you have to understand is that you will never achieve success by ensuring against failure.” I thought I understood what he meant, I thought I got it: “Yes, yes, you’ve got to take risks. You’ve got to be brave, you’ve got to gamble.” It was more than 30 years of being an actor before I really internally understood what he meant. Now, it’s become a habit of mine, before I make an entrance onstage every night, to say out loud but quietly, “I don’t give a fuck!” And I go work. And it works! It takes away anxiety and stress and worry, and all of those stupid wasteful things that don’t help you at all.

Were you hesitant to go back to your Star Trek character, Picard? Hesitant? I turned it down. It was history. It was behind me and there was nothing more to be said about Jean Luc Picard or his life. When I met the producers I was 77. I’m 79 now, and there is a ticking clock, and there’s still a lot I want to do, but I had a lot of needs and longings than more Star Trek. But I have to admit, the script more than caught my attention. It was not returning to the world that I had been in before.

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How so? The fact is, 18 years have passed since I last put on Captain Picard’s uniform. And the world we’re living in is a different place. I’ve just been listening to the 5 o’clock news here [in England] and what’s happening with Brexit. Of course, both our countries are in the same kind of predicament in that we have a totally unsuitable person running the country. I use, as an example, the film Logan . No longer was Charles Xavier the sensitive, compassionate intellectual sitting in his wheelchair. He was a totally broken person. When I thought about if I was to consider Star Trek, I used Logan as an illustration — we continued the fundamental themes of the X-Men movies, and the principle characters were still there, but they were in a different world. Their lives had changed, there had been dramas and horror and tragedies, and things were now grim and perilous .

What was growing up in post-war England like? Oh, Lord, I was talking about this the other day. I was born in 1940, and my father was already away at the war. He was part of the British Expeditionary Force that attacked France at the end of 1939, and it was a disaster. The German panzer divisions just massacred them. My father was not a great one for telling wartime anecdotes. But he did tell me about one evening: He was with a whole group of men who were trying to get back to the coast and save themselves, when they heard Winston Churchill on the radio announce that “today we have removed the last members of the British Expeditionary Force from the battlefields in France.” Well, Winston, you got it wrong, because there were certainly many hundred still there. My father was one of them. He got on the last boat out. So, this had a profound effect on him. He suffered seriously from PTSD. This was to affect him for the rest of his life. The only treatment that you got in those days was somebody would yell at you, if you were in the army, to pull yourself together and act like a man. So when he came home, he was not a happy man. He was discontented, restless, frustrated, and unwell. But that was not recognized at the time, and it made many aspects of my own life unpleasant.

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Patrick stewart and drew barrymore sing with creed in peak paramount+ super bowl ad.

And he was abusive to you and your mother? He was, yes. He was a weekend alcoholic, which meant that from 10 o’clock on Friday evening, for the next 48 hours you had to be very careful what you did and said. But he would be drunk and he would be violent, and that continued for a number of years. It gradually lessened, partly because he realized that my brother and I were getting bigger. The sad thing for me is, I didn’t know that he was suffering and needed therapy and all of those things that so many returning veterans need today. For years, I’d given my father a very bad press, but I became a patron of a wonderful organization called Refuge, which is an organization dedicated to providing a safe house for women and their children who had violent husbands. But then, about five years ago, I learned about my father and his PTSD. I felt ashamed that I had used his name as a symbol for violence and anger, not knowing that he couldn’t help himself. I don’t defend him for the violence. Violence is never an option. Recently, I was invited to become an active member of a group called Combat Stress , and they focus on helping veterans with PTSD. So, I now try to balance things out, doing my Refuge work for my mother and Combat Stress for my father. I could do nothing for them when I was little, when I was young. Nothing. I would put my body between my father and my mother as I got bigger, and try to defy him, but it didn’t often work. In their names, now I’m able to, with the time that I have available, do more for them.

You were almost a journalist at some point, and then you chose acting over journalism. I was a cub reporter. Strings were pulled. I had a very, very modest education. We left school at 15 in those days, and my local newspaper took me on. I was given a district of my own to cover, which I really enjoyed. I threw myself into the job, aware that I was very, very lucky to have a job like that. But I’d become massively involved with amateur theatricals. I loved it. I loved going to rehearsals. For one thing, it got me out of my house. But, there was a problem, which was that all my amateur acting interfered badly with my work as a journalist. I got into trouble. I was dishonest. I made things up. I invented stuff. Yes, yes, yes … Because to me, being at the rehearsal was more important than attending a council meeting. Finally, I was found out, when the huge mill in my town caught fire one evening, and someone called the newspaper and the editor said, “No, don’t worry, Patrick’s right next door.” Well, I wasn’t there. I was in the rehearsal room. I was found out and got hauled before the editor, who gave me an ultimatum: “Give up all this amateur acting, this ridiculous playing games that you’re doing, and concentrate on doing your job, for which we’re paying properly.” I didn’t like being talked to like that, so I went upstairs and I packed up my typewriter and I left. I went home and said, “I’m going to be an actor.” And they said, “How are you going to do that?” And I said, “I’ve no idea. I’m going to find out.” And I did.

How did you cope with going bald so young? Was it hard? Yes, it was. I got very depressed about it because my hair fell out very quickly. I was 19. By the time I was 20, it was gone. I spent a lot of money — more than I could afford — on a really great hairpiece, a wig. And I would wear it to auditions. And usually what they asked for in the theater in those days were two audition pieces, which you could choose yourself. So I would do one as a character piece, wearing my hairpiece. And then I would very quickly take it off and do a totally different character, looking like a different actor. And I would say to them, “Hey, two actors for the price of one. You can’t turn this down, can you?” The worst part about it was I thought it meant my romantic life was over, would never happen, because what woman would like to go out with a bald 19-year-old? Very few. Whereas these days, nowadays, men with these fabulous heads of hair shave it. That’s fine, but I thought, “That’s it. Romance is dead for me, so just throw yourself into your work, Patrick. Make the best of it.”

You became famous later in life. What do you think it would have done to you if you’d been famous as a younger person? I think I might have been a nightmare. The thing is, I got a chance to observe, because I worked for 15 months with Vivien Leigh, for example. We toured the world in three productions with her playing the leading role. I got to watch Vivien and many other brilliant leading actors. I used them as my benchmark. All of these people were beautifully behaved. I was madly in love with Vivien Leigh. She was always so kind to me, although I was actually the least important member of the company. I saw how you have a choice about how you behave and what kind of work you can do. And I used that information to try to do the best possible work I could.

You revived your one-man Christmas Carol show in New York this holiday season. The whole story is really a man looking back on his life. I wonder how you look back, and what that story taught you? I am loving working on it again because it’s 16 or 17 years since I last performed this. I’m not the person I was when I created this role over 20 years ago, and I’m seeing the story very differently. And, of course, because what has happened in our world, I’m seeing it much more as a political document than as a lovely, sweet, adorable Christmas story. It’s full of bitter, savage attacks on the inequalities of life, particularly in London. Dickens was very sensitive to this and wrote brilliantly about it: When Jacob Marley comes to visit Scrooge that first night, and Marley is telling him how he ruined his life by being only obsessed with money, and Scrooge says to him, “But you were always a good man of business, Jacob.” And Marley says, “Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business.” I never made quite enough of that before, because that’s what it’s about. It’s not just about being rich or poor, but it’s about, if you have resources, what do you do with them? This is about you making them available to people who have less, and you do all that you can to care for them. That’s not a spirit that’s abroad much in our world today, is it?

You are involved with the campaign for death with dignity and assisted suicide. What brought it to you and why is it important to you? I’d always been intrigued about what they call doctor-assisted dying. When I was in my sixties, a friend of mine told me an appalling story. I knew that his wife had died. I didn’t know how. She was seriously ill with cancer, incurable cancer, and in extraordinary pain. He told me how he was living alone with his wife, looking after her, and one night he went out to walk the dog. So while he was gone, she put a plastic bag around her head and knotted it under her chin, and was dead when he got back. This story shocked me so profoundly that I decided to investigate more. I came across Dignity in Dying , and they’re a fantastic organization who campaign for a change in British law that would permit doctor-assisted dying, but only with the strictest, most severe conditions attached to this — because people are concerned about families wanting to get rid of some old person or somebody who has money and they want to inherit it, all that kind of thing. What we argue for is signed documents from two doctors that this person is terminally ill, will die within six months, and is of sound mind to make this decision themselves, and is under no pressure. If someone is in profound misery, and is a person of faith, the way in which I believe their faith can be celebrated is by giving them what they most need: a pain-free ending. It will give other people a choice to end their life in the way in which they wish to see it end. Of course, I put myself in their shoes, often. I’m 79, and I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

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Patrick Stewart

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He is also known for his portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier in the hit X-Men films, and as the voice of Emperor Uriel Septim VII in the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion . Despite his success in film, television and video games, he still considers his roots in Shakespearean theater the most important aspect of his career.

• 1.1 Family and marriages
• 2.1 Relationships with other Star Trek cast members
• 3 Stage work
• 4.1 Who Do You Think You Are?
• 4.2.1 Seth MacFarlane
• 5 Honors and achievements
• 6.1 Appearances as Jean-Luc Picard
• 7 Star Trek directorial credits
• 8 Star Trek interviews
• 10 External links

Stewart was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, on 13 July 1940 . His parents were working class, his father Alfred a career soldier, and his mother, Gladys, a mill-worker.

His stage career started at an early age. His involvement was encouraged when, at age 12, he enrolled in an eighty-day drama course. Thereafter, his participation in local amateur dramatics increased steadily, even after he quit school at 15 to work as a reporter. However, his employer resented his dedication to the local theater and finally, after a little more than a year of Stewart's less-than-dedicated reporting, he issued him an ultimatum forcing him to choose between acting and journalism. Although it was a very good job, Stewart quit and became determined to prove himself as a professional actor.

In 1957, at age 17, he enrolled in the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he spent two years, learning his craft and losing his Yorkshire accent. After leaving school, Stewart was never out of work, despite a warning from an instructor, who told him that his baldness would make him a young character actor rather than a juvenile lead. Stewart, however, was able to land jobs by convincing directors that with a toupee, he could play both, doubling his range (advertising himself as "two actors for the price of one!"). His professional stage debut was at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, in August 1959, playing Morgan in a stage adaptation of Treasure Island .

At 19, Stewart started going bald "I was 19 and lost my hair, I believed that no woman would ever be interested in me again. I prepared myself for the reality that a large part of my life was over." [1]

From birth he was brought up as a supporter of Huddersfield Town Football Club, and, even after traveling the world as an actor, likes to return to watch his team play in the town adjacent to his birthplace. He is fond of his country, stating that during his time as a Hollywood player, he feared that not only would he not be able to return to Britain and the London stage, but that he could die on an American street rather than a street in England. [2]

Now an internationally respected actor known for successfully bridging the gap between the theatrical world of the Shakespearean stage and contemporary film and television, Patrick Stewart continues to demonstrate his versatility with a wide range of upcoming projects.

In a 2007 video for Amnesty International and a 2009 article in The Guardian , Stewart talked about the physical abuse his mother endured because of his father while he was a child. Stewart is patron of the UK charity Refuge, which aids women and children suffering domestic violence. [3] [4]

Stewart has shown disgust at the presidency of Donald Trump and announced he was seeking United States citizenship so he can vote in American elections. Stewart made the announcement on "The View" moderated by costar Whoopi Goldberg .

Family and marriages

Patrick Stewart's family has roots in the Middlesex region of England, with his father Alfred George Stewart born there in 1905. Patrick Stewart's grandfather William Albert Stewart was born in 1862, during the American Civil War and at the height of Victorian England. Stewart's mother Gladys Barrowclough was born in 1901 and descended from a family with roots in Yorkshire since the early 18th century.

Patrick Stewart has two elder brothers, Geoffrey Stewart (born 1925) and Trevor Stewart (born 1935). Both entered the acting profession, with Geoffrey working as a voice actor and animator while Trevor eventually became a film editor. Patrick Stewart and his brother Trevor remained close throughout their life and, in a 2014 interview, spoke to the hardships and psychological abuse growing up with an alcoholic father. Stewart specifically related how his father, who had once been a respected career Regimental Sergeant Major, turned to drinking after his release from the military where he found himself as an unskilled laborer with little authority. [5]

Patrick Stewart is twice divorced, his first marriage being to Sheila Falconer from 1966 to 1990. During the third and fourth seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation , immediately following Stewart’s divorce from his first wife, he dated, and was reportedly briefly engaged to, Jennifer Hetrick who also played Picard's on-screen girlfriend Vash . ( citation needed • edit )

In 1997, Stewart became engaged to Star Trek: Voyager producer Wendy Neuss ; they were married on 25 August 2000, and divorced 14 October 2003. A few months prior to his divorce, Stewart had become romantically involved with British actress Lisa Dillon . Stewart married for the third time on 8 September 2013 to jazz singer Sunny Ozell , who is almost thirty-eight years his junior. The wedding was presided over by fellow thespian and personal friend Ian McKellen . [6]

Patrick Stewart is the father of Daniel Stewart from his first marriage, who portrayed the character of Batai in the episode " The Inner Light ". Stewart also has a daughter named Sophia.

Patrick Stewart and sound mixer Alan Bernard on set 1994

Stewart originated the role of Captain Picard in the pilot episode for Star Trek: The Next Generation , entitled " Encounter at Farpoint ". In the early pre-production stage of the series, TNG producer Robert H. Justman wanted Stewart for the role of Data. ( Patrick Stewart: The Unauthorized Biography ) Despite the character being French in origin, Stewart plays the character with a British accent albeit one distinct from that of his own birthplace in Yorkshire. Regardless, the role garnered him millions of fans, and earned him Best Actor nominations from the American Television Awards and the Screen Actors Guild. Stewart was invited to read for the part of Jean-Luc Picard after Robert Justman saw him during Shakespeare readings at a lecture at UCLA. Gene Roddenberry 's first thought was that he " can't put a bald head man in the captain's chair ". ( TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning" )

He also played Picard in the pilot episode of spin-off series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , " Emissary " (in which he was also seen as Picard's Borg - assimilated alter ego Locutus ). He went on to play Picard in the four Next Generation motion pictures, with his performance in the eighth Star trek film, Star Trek: First Contact , earning him a Best Actor Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as well as a Favorite Actor nomination from the Blockbuster Movie Awards. In addition, he has voiced the role of Picard in several video games , the most recent of which was Star Trek: Legacy , which also featured the voice of fellow Trek captains William Shatner ( James T. Kirk ), Avery Brooks ( Benjamin Sisko ), Kate Mulgrew ( Kathryn Janeway ), and Scott Bakula ( Jonathan Archer ).

In addition to his starring role on TNG, he directed several episodes. He also served as associate producer for the film Star Trek: Insurrection .

Thinking back on the series in an interview with Star Trek: The Magazine , Stewart said two of his favorite episodes were "the acting challenges" of " Chain Of Command, Part I " and " Chain Of Command, Part II ", and " The Inner Light ". ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 1 , p. 15)

Stewart has always been very aware of how closely identified William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have become with their Star Trek characters. To combat the threat of typecasting, Stewart refuses to use any Star Trek terminology in the commercial voice-over work he does. "Make it so" and "Engage" are the two most common terms he has vetoed from commercial scripts he has performed. ( Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book )

Stewart also ensured a ban on audience members from wearing Starfleet uniforms at his performances, as he was perturbed by their presence. Regardless, he said he does not mind people coming to watch him if they are Star Trek fans, as long as they enjoy his performance. [7]

Stewart was also a member of The Sunspots, a band which also consists of TNG co-stars Jonathan Frakes , Michael Dorn , and LeVar Burton . They appeared as the background vocals for "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" on Brent Spiner 's 1991 album "Ol' Yellow Eyes is Back".

Stewart made his latest movie appearance as Picard in the tenth feature film, Star Trek Nemesis . Prior to the announcement that a prequel Trek film overseen by J.J. Abrams was underway, there were rumors that one more TNG film was in the works, despite the financial and critical failure of Nemesis . Stewart had stated his belief that playing Picard in another film likely wouldn't happen, comparing it to "a romantic relationship that's over", although he didn't completely rule out the possibility. [8] Nonetheless, Stewart has on one occassion expressed regret that the movie was not made as he felt that Nemesis was not the movie to conclude The Next Generation era in a satisfactorily way, " While we were filming Nemesis , an idea was being developed by John Logan , the screenwriter of Nemesis , and Brent Spiner for a fifth and final movie. It was a very exciting idea for a screenplay. It would have been a real farewell to Next Generation , but it would have involved other historic aspects of Star Trek as well. " [9]

On 4 August 2018 , at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention, Alex Kurtzman announced that Stewart would return to the role of Picard in the next Star Trek series, Star Trek: Picard on which Stewart also worked as executive producer. [10] Stewart referred to the news as "unexpected but delightful" [11] , and revealed that he had been approached about the possibility a year earlier, and turned it down, but revisiting episodes of The Next Generation and realizing the power and influence of the series changed his mind. [12] The new series is set twenty years after the events of Nemesis . [13]

Several costumes and components worn by Stewart were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a pair of Starfleet dress uniform boots [14] and a civilian costume lot. [15]

Relationships with other Star Trek cast members

Stewart with Whoopi Goldberg in 1988

In the special features section of the 7th Season DVD release of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Stewart expounds on his relationship with other Trek cast members, providing a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes relationships that occurred between the various actors.

Far from the character of Picard, who commanded the bridge of the Enterprise without question, Stewart was seen as an equal (and occasionally subordinate) to the actors he worked with and, in some cases, came into conflict with them. Stewart mentions in particular Michael Dorn , with whom he had many loud and vocal arguments on the set, and on one occasion seriously offended both Dorn and LeVar Burton by making a comment on the set seen as racist towards the two African American actors. Stewart stated that at the time he thought it was an innocent remark, but for years was haunted by the incident since he felt he had permanently damaged his relationship with these two actors.

Stewart also reminisced regarding Wil Wheaton , and how Stewart never saw him as a child actor but rather an adult actor on equal standing who just needed to gain a bit more experience. Stewart also held close relationships with Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes, relationships Stewart admits were fostered mostly due to the large number of "ready room scenes" with Data , Picard, and Riker , all of which were shot late into the night mostly on Fridays after the rest of the Trek cast had gone home.

Regarding his female co-workers, Stewart wonders what would have become of the show had Denise Crosby remained on-board but also states that the departure of Crosby was what made Michael Dorn so successful since the character of Worf was thus able to grow and eventually move into another series as a major character. Of Gates McFadden , Stewart says he had a close working relationship and also with Marina Sirtis who as "another Brit" was just as out of place on an American show as Stewart sometimes felt himself.

Stewart was initially known among his fellow cast members on The Next Generation for his seriousness. He had trouble getting used to the behavior of Jonathan Frakes, who "treats a day of filming like it's a big party." Not accustomed to working this way, he went "down in history" for yelling at a cast member, telling them "We're not here to have fun!" By the end of filming on The Next Generation , however, Frakes had titled him as the silliest member of The Next Generation , which he took as an immense compliment. ( Star Trek: Picard DVD and Blu-ray special feature: Story Log - " Nepenthe ")

Michelle Hurd described him as being one of the most generous, kind, self-deprecating, grounded and beautiful people she's ever graced the same space with and "a gift." ( Star Trek: Picard DVD and Blu-ray special feature: The Motley Crew)

In 1966 Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, with whom he remained for nearly twenty years. Stewart is an Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, having been made an Associate Artist in 1967. With the RSC, he has played such roles as King John, Shylock, Henry IV, Cassius, Titus Andronicus, Oberon, Leontes, Enobarbus, Touchstone, and Launce. He has also starred in many contemporary works with the RSC, including premiere productions by Tom Stoppard, Edward Bond, Howard Barker, and David Rudkin.

Stewart's association with the RSC ultimately brought him to the Broadway stage, performing in the Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream , which ran for 62 performances in 1971. Stewart went on to join the Royal National Theatre in the 1980s (for which he played the title role in Peter Shaffer's play Yonadab at the National Theater in 1986, among other productions), although he rejoined the RSC for productions of Othello in 1997 (with Stewart playing the title role) and Anthony and Cleopatra , Julius Caesar , and The Tempest in 2006.

Among Stewart's most well-known and acclaimed stage work is his one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol , portraying all of the story's characters himself. He performed the play on Broadway first in December 1991, winning a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance/One Person Show in the following year. He staged encore performances in December and January 1993, 1994, and 1995 and staged yet another performance in December 2001 as a benefit for the survivors and the families of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Stewart earned another Drama Desk Award nomination in 1996, this time as Outstanding Actor in a Play for his starring role in a Broadway production of Shakespeare's The Tempest . He received a second Outstanding Actor Drama Desk nomination in 1999 for his starring role in the Broadway play The Ride Down Mt. Morgan . He performed in revival of Harold Pinter's The Caretaker in 2003-04, and returned to Broadway with Ian McKellen during 2013-14 to perform Pinter's No Man's Land , in repertory with Waiting for Godot .

Although Stewart has had great success in both film and television, especially with his role on TNG, he has repeatedly gone on record as saying that stage theater is his first love. In fact, he has gone on record as stating that his being offered the role of Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation was a "calamity" as it kept him away from the London stage. Although he was "immensely grateful" for the changes which Star Trek brought to his life, he now feels as though he has "a lot of catching up to do". He feels that "not that there have been lost opportunities, but that there are things I might have done and I've got to do a lot of them quickly now". [16] He also felt that, because acting on the British stage is all he's wanted to do, his work in Hollywood lacked substance. [17]

Stewart starred in a production of William Shakespeare's Macbeth in 2007, playing the title role. The play began at the Chichester Festival Theatre and then moved to West End's Gielgud Theatre. In February 2008, the play transferred to the Brooklyn Academy of Music [18] and was later performed at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway. [19] Stewart was hailed as the " Macbeth of a lifetime " and won several awards for his performance. [20]

Stewart currently co-stars with ex- Doctor Who actor David Tennant in a production of Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, which has since been transferred to the screen as a BBC Christmas Drama. Stewart will be playing Claudius to Tennant's Hamlet. [21] Coincidentally, Stewart has stated in an interview he is keen for a role in Doctor Who , as he is a fan of the program, but has not yet been asked to appear. [22] . After a run in Stratford, the play transferred to London's West End. Stewart was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for best supporting actor in March 2009 for the role. [23]

Patrick Stewart worked alongside his co-star from the X-Men series, and his friend, Ian McKellen in a Scottish production of Waiting for Godot .

Film and television

Patrick Stewart playing a fireman in Coronation Street in 1967

Stewart made the transition from stage to British television in the early 1970s, although his earliest appearances in the media were televised plays. In his first experience in a television drama, he played a fireman in Episode 638 of the long running British ITV soap opera Coronation Street .

In 1974, however, he began making a full transition (although remaining in familiar territory) in the Royal Shakespeare Company's made-for-TV adaptation of Antony and Cleopatra , in which Stewart played the supporting role of Enobarbus, co-starring with fellow future Star Trek alum W. Morgan Sheppard . That same year, Stewart had a role as Vladimir Lenin in the BBC mini-series Fall of Eagles , his first TV project that was not associated with a stage production, co-starring Tony Jay and John Rhys-Davies .

By the following year, Stewart had broken into feature films. He made his film debut playing Ejlert Løvborg in the drama Hedda , Henrik Ibsen's play Hedda Gabler . This was followed with the thriller Hennessy that same year.

In 1976, Stewart acquired some early recognition for his role as the ruthless secret police chief Sejanus in the acclaimed BBC mini-series I, Claudius . This epic production, which received an Emmy Award nomination as Outstanding Limited Series, also co-starred John Rhys-Davies , John Franklyn-Robbins and Guy Siner .

Continuing his appearance in supporting roles in notable British television series, he played the thuggish and taciturn Karla of the KGB in the British spy series Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) and Smiley's People (1982), based on novels by John le Carré. Although Karla does not have a speaking role, he is the antagonist of the main character Smiley, constantly trying to recruit British spies as double agents which makes him a constant background presence in the series.

Stewart and his son Daniel on the set of "The Inner Light" in 1992

Stewart went on to play King Leondegrance in John Boorman's 1981 fantasy epic Excalibur , Stewart's first film produced by an American film company, although it was filmed in Ireland. By 1984, Stewart was more actively taking parts in Hollywood film productions. Among these was the supporting role of Gurney Halleck in the cult adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune . His co-stars in this film included Brad Dourif , Virginia Madsen , and Dean Stockwell , all of whom went on to guest star on a Star Trek series.

In 1985 alone, Stewart could be seen in no less than five feature films. Included among those are Lifeforce (a sci-fi thriller in which Stewart has his first on-screen kiss – with a man) and The Doctor and the Devils (a horror movie also featuring W. Morgan Sheppard). In 1986, he had a supporting role as a duke in the biographical period drama Lady Jane – also featuring W. Morgan Sheppard. After this, however, Stewart was signed on to The Next Generation and, for seven years, his film career took a backseat to commanding the starship USS Enterprise -D .

Nonetheless, he did continue appearing in films while TNG was in production. In 1991's L.A. Story (which also featured Iman in a small role), he was briefly seen as a stuck-up maitre'd at a restaurant called L'Idiot; Time Winters played one of the waiters in this restaurant. There is also Mel Brooks' 1993 spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights in which Stewart made a cameo appearance as King Richard at the end of the film. In addition, he starred in the 1993 TV movie Death Train and he also had a supporting role as a villain in the 1994 action film Gunmen .

Stewart appeared twice on the long-running children's program Sesame Street . In one segment, he praised the letter "B" in the form of a Shakespearean monologue ("A 'B' or not a 'B'?"). He and his TNG co-star Whoopi Goldberg are some of the few who had a segment on the show that did not feature any puppets, nor actors playing regular characters. In his second appearance on the program, he ordered " Make it so, number 1 ", to the number 1 when he kept running around the set.

After production on Next Generation completed, Stewart appeared in the 1994 TV movie In Search of Dr. Seuss , along with Matt Frewer , Whoopi Goldberg, Graham Jarvis , Christopher Lloyd , and Andrea Martin . Stewart then played a gay man in the drama Jeffrey , with DS9 guest star Steven Weber playing the title role and Star Trek: Voyager actors Ethan Phillips and Patrick Kerr co-starring. In 1997, Stewart played the villain in two films: Richard Donner's action thriller Conspiracy Theory (for which he won as Favorite Supporting Actor in a Suspense film from the Blockbuster Movie Awards) and the lighter-hearted Masterminds . The following year, he returned to the role of the hero as the star of the film Safe House , with Joy Kilpatrick playing his daughter.

Stewart received an Emmy Award nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of Captain Ahab in the 1998 TV movie adaptation of Herman Melville's Moby Dick . (It is amusing to note that Stewart acted his rather lengthy role as Captain Ahab after his discussion with Lily concerning Ahab in Star Trek: First Contact .) Stewart earned yet another nomination from both the Emmys and the Golden Globes for playing King Henry II in the 2003 adaptation of James Goldman's play The Lion in Winter . In between, Stewart starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in a 1999 TV adaptation of A Christmas Carol , for which he received a second Saturn Award nomination and a second Screen Actors Guild nomination, and reunited with TNG co-star Colm Meaney for the 2002 TV movie King of Texas , an updated adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear . Stewart also served as an executive producer for the latter three movies.

Stewart's most successful, most well-known non- Trek film role is that of Professor Charles Francis Xavier (aka "Professor X") in the X-Men films based on the hugely popular Marvel Comics characters. Even before he was cast as Xavier, Stewart was long a fan-favorite choice to play the part. Stewart's performance in the first film earned him his third Saturn Award nomination and third Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination. All three X-Men films – X-Men in 2000, X2 in 2003, and X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006 – co-starred his one-time TNG castmate Famke Janssen (" The Perfect Mate "). The first two also featured Bruce Davison , while the last film also co-starred Kelsey Grammer . Stewart and Grammer – the latter of whom guest-starred in the TNG episode " Cause And Effect " – co-starred with each other on an episode in the final season of Grammer's hit sitcom, Frasier in which Stewart played the very gay theater producer, Alistair Burke. Stewart reprised his role as Professor X in a cameo in the 2009 prequel film X-Men Origins: Wolverine , and reunited with Singer in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past . He portrayed the character one final time to much acclaim for 2017's Logan . This final outing shared a notable similarity with the The Next Generation finale, "All Good Things...", as both respective characters Stewart played were portrayed as suffering from the ravages of old age.

Stewart had a notable role in the Ricky Gervais vehicle Extras , stepping in when Jude Law cancelled. The episode is named after him, and stars him as a nudity obsessed and somewhat adolescent minded man - he also sends up Captain Picard, and is bemused when Gervais' character Andy Millman admits he has never seen TNG. Stewart's (fictional) company Picard Productions also leads to Millman getting a sitcom on the BBC later in the series.

Patrick Stewart was considered for the role of the Eighth Doctor and the (canonically Third) Master in Doctor Who . [24] Stewart has revealed in an interview that he might have been considered by producers for the role, but he was never formally approached.

In 2007 , it was announced Stewart would produce and star in a film version of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice set in 20th century Las Vegas, written by Star Trek Nemesis scribe John Logan . According to Steward [25] [26]

Stewart appeared in a comedy skit on The Daily Show hosted by the similarly named Jon Stewart when he wore a wig pretending to be Daily Show correspondent John Oliver making satire of the recent American football replacement referee controversy. Stewart took off the wig when the real Oliver emerged and for the duration of the sketch, Stewart quoted lines from the vast Shakespearean productions in which he has starred. On Tuesday November 6, 2012, Stewart returned to The Daily Show as announcer for their 2012 Presidential election coverage.

A lifelong fan of motor racing, Stewart holds a racing competition license and hosted an episode of Racing Legends for the BBC in which he met his childhood hero Sir Stirling Moss.

In 2016, Stewart portrayed the leader of a Neo-Nazi gang in the horror thriller Green Room , co-starring Anton Yelchin as the bassist of a punk band the gang terrorizes.

Who Do You Think You Are?

In 2012, Stewart appeared on the ninth season of the British genealogical documentary series Who Do You Think You Are? The episode mainly focused on Stewart's father Alfred, and includes interviews with his brothers.

Stewart remembered his father Alfred being physically abusive towards his mother, but also remembered that his father, while dour and strict, never laid a hand on his children. During his research however, he, with the help of experts, began to realize this had mostly been due to a case of undiagnosed, and thus untreated, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that Alfred had contracted during his World War II service in the British Army – which included his evacuation from Dunkirk one month before Stewart's birth, alluded to by Picard in " Remembrance ". As a direct result of his discovery, Stewart supports the British charity "Combat Stress" which helps veterans deal with PTSD. [27] The episode also deals with other aspects of Stewart's family, including his Scottish ancestry, and shows him in his role as Chancellor of Huddersfield University.

Stewart's personal experiences from his youth were incorporated in the second season of Picard , particularly its seventh episode, " Monsters ".

Stewart has lent his voice to a variety of animated films and TV shows.

In 1993, Stewart voiced the character King Richard LeGré in the critically acclaimed RPG Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos . In 1994, Stewart, his TNG co-star Whoopi Goldberg, and Frank Welker voiced a trio of talking books in The Pagemaster , a fantasy film starring Christopher Lloyd and Ed Begley, Jr. and also featuring the voices of Leonard Nimoy and Robert Picardo . He also voiced Dr. Lloyd Steam in the Japanese Anime Steam Boy . [28] In 1998, Stewart voiced Pharaoh Seti I in the Biblical animated film The Prince of Egypt . The following year, Stewart and the aforementioned Kelsey Grammer voiced the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, respectively, in a TV adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm . Stewart was the narrator in Wakeman 's album Return to the Centre of the Earth of 1999. And in 2001, Stewart played the evil King Goobot in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius , which also featured the voice of Andrea Martin .

In 2005, Stewart and DS9 recurring actor Wallace Shawn lent their voices to the Disney movie, Chicken Little . Regarding his work in this film, Stewart said in an interview for Disney's Movie Surfer that "umpteenth time's the charm". This is in reference to the fact that the heavy schedules for The Next Generation and its movies forced Stewart to turn down roles in previous Disney animated films, including Francis the bulldog in Oliver & Company (eventually voiced by Roscoe Lee Browne), [29] King Triton in The Little Mermaid (ultimately voiced by DS9 guest star Kenneth Mars ), Cogsworth in Beauty and The Beast (ultimately voiced by Stewart's one-time TNG co-star, David Ogden Stiers ), Jafar in Aladdin (which he calls his deepest regret), Zazu in The Lion King , Ratcliffe in Pocahontas (also voiced by Stiers), Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which went to Tony Jay ), Zeus in Hercules , and Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Lilo & Stitch (again, this role went to David Ogden Stiers). He also had to turn down the title role in Disney's The Great Mouse Detective due to his commitment to a play. In addition, he was turned down for the role of Clayton in Disney's Tarzan as the director felt Brian Blessed's voice was perfect for the character. He was also considered for the role of Rasputin in Don Bluth's animated film for Twentieth Century Fox, Anastasia , before Christopher Lloyd took the role. [30] After voicing in Chicken Little , Stewart voiced "The Great Prince" in Disney's 2006 direct-to-DVD release Bambi II .

In 2007, Stewart can be heard supplying the voice of the main villain in the CG-animated film TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) .

Stewart also lent his voice to the sixth season The Simpsons episode "Homer the Great", playing a character named "Number One."

Stewart provides the voice of Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls video game series, in the fourth game, Oblivion , for which he won the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Award.

His voice was used in a trailer at E3 for the game Castlevania: Lords of Shadow , for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. He voices Zobek in both Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and its sequel, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 . [1]

Stewart supplied his voice for 2012's Dorothy of Oz working again with Kelsey Grammer and also behind the microphone with Michael Krawic .

Stewart provided narration for Sinbad: the Fifth Voyage (2014), and Match (2014), a film about an eccentric choreographer. [31]

Seth MacFarlane

Stewart voices the recurring role of CIA Director Avery Bullock in Seth MacFarlane 's animated series, American Dad! His role often has references to Star Trek ; for example, Bullock refers to his close aide as "Number One." In addition, Stewart is among the many Star Trek actors who have lent their voice to MacFarlane's Family Guy . In the episode "Peter's Got Woods", Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn voiced their characters in a TNG spoof in which Picard makes fun of Worf 's forehead. This scene actually replaced one which would have featured Stewart and Marina Sirtis in their roles as Picard and Troi , with Troi picking up some disturbing thoughts from a panicky Picard. Stewart and all his fellow castmates had lent their voices for the episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" in which Stewie Griffin kidnaps them and forces them to spend the day together. He also appeared as Jean-Luc Picard in the third Family Guy Star Wars spoof "It's a Trap!!," for only one line " We're having tea, thank you very much ". In addition, Michael Dorn appeared as Worf.

In 2015, Stewart starred in the title role in MacFarlane's news spoof comedy series Blunt Talk where real life son Daniel plays Walter Blunt's son Rafe. Also Golden Brooks recurs as Blunt's second ex-wife. Co-star Brent Spiner portrays Kevin, the piano player at Blunt's favorite bar.

Honors and achievements

Stewart and Ronald Reagan on the set of " Redemption " in 1991

In 1996, in honor of his work on the stage, Stewart received the prestigious Will Award from The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC. The honor is given annually to an individual who makes "a significant contribution to classical theater in America." That same year, Stewart also won a Grammy Award for "Best Spoken Word Album for Children" for his narrative work on Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf .

In the 2001 New Years' Honours List, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland conferred on Stewart the honor of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

In 2004, Patrick Stewart was named Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield, a role which he retained until 2015. He then accepted the role of Emeritus Chancellor. [32]

In 2005, Stewart received an Emmy Award nomination for appearing – as himself – on the sitcom Extras .

In 2006 Stewart was voted as the second-sexiest retired man in the UK, just after Sean Connery. Stewart had previously been voted the "Sexiest Man on Television" by TV Guide in 1992.

In 2007 he was named as the next Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford. In that same year, he won the prize for Best Performance In A Play at the Theatrical Management Association (TMA) Awards for his portrayal of the title role in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of Macbeth .

Stewart was named Best Actor of 2007 at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his performance in the West End production of Macbeth . [33]

In 2008 Stewart was awarded the Best Shakespearean Performance prize from the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for his performance in Macbeth . He shared the award with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, who won for his performance in a production of Othello . [34]

Stewart was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play for his performance in Macbeth . [35] He is the first actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for playing Macbeth. [36] The play received a total of six Tony nominations, including Stewart's. [37] [38]

On 14 July 2008, Stewart was named Professor of Performing Arts at Huddersfield University, where he was chancellor from 2004 to 2015. [39]

Stewart was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his se [40]

Stewart shared in the honor of carrying the Olympic Flame in London to celebrate the 2012 Summer games. [41]

In August 2016, a building at the University of Huddersfield was renamed the "Sir Patrick Stewart Building". [42]

Star Trek appearances

Appearances as Jean-Luc Picard

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " All Good Things... "
• DS9 : " Emissary "
• Star Trek Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek Nemesis
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... " (archive voice)
• ST : " Children of Mars " (image only; uncredited)
• " Remembrance "
• " Maps and Legends "
• " The End is the Beginning "
• " Absolute Candor "
• " Stardust City Rag "
• " The Impossible Box "
• " Nepenthe "
• " Broken Pieces "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 "
• " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "
• " The Star Gazer "
• " Penance "
• " Assimilation "
• " Watcher "
• " Fly Me to the Moon "
• " Two of One "
• " Monsters "
• " Hide and Seek "
• " Farewell "
• " The Next Generation "
• " Disengage "
• " Seventeen Seconds "
• " No Win Scenario "
• " Imposters "
• " The Bounty "
• " Dominion "
• " Surrender "
• " The Last Generation "

Star Trek directorial credits

• " In Theory "
• " Hero Worship "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " Phantasms "
• " Preemptive Strike "

Star Trek interviews

Patrick Stewart was interviewed for the following Star Trek specials:

• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning"
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Casting", "Character Notes", "Camaraderie")
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Making of a Legend"
• TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions"
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Two", interviewed on 6 March 1987
• TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Two: Memorable Missions" (" The Measure Of A Man "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" ("The Doctor Returns"), interviewed on 27 September 1989
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" (" The Offspring ", " Guinan Returns"), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Three", interviewed on 27 September 1989
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis Year Three" ("Crew Profile: Jean-Luc Picard ", "Crew Profile: Riker and Troi "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions" (" Sarek "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Four", interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Crew Profile: Wesley Crusher "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Four" ("Production", "Make Up"), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Inside the Star Trek Archives" ("The Legacy of Dixon Hill "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Five" ("A Visit from Spock ", " Darmok ", " The Inner Light "), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Production"), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "A Tribute to Gene Roddenberry " ("Gene Roddenberry Building Dedicated to Star Trek's Creator"), interviewed on 6 March 1987, 6 June 1991 , and 31 March 1994
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Six" ("Chain of Command"), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Bold New Directions Year Six", interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "A Captain's Tribute Year Seven", interviewed on 23 August 1991 and 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Seven" ("A Captain Takes Action"), interviewed on 15 November 2001
• TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven" ("A Unique Legacy", "A Unique Family"), interviewed on 21 March 1994 and 15 November 2001
• "Patrick Stewart - Captain Jean-Luc Picard", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 1 , pp. 10-12, interviewed by Marc Shapiro
• "Patrick Stewart - Captain Jean-Luc Picard", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 4, pp. 10-13, interviewed by Dennis Fischer
• "Status Report: Changes", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 7, p. 6
• "Epic Messages", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 14, p. 29, interviewed by Peter Bloch-Hansen
• "Captain's View", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine Vol. 19, p. 61, interviewed by Lynne Stephens
• "Patrick Stewart", Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 1 , pp. 12-16.
• All Good Things Blu-ray special feature The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making "All Good Things" ( 2014 )
• Patrick Stewart: The Unauthorized Biography
• Making It So ( 3 October 2023 ) [43]

External links

• Patrick Stewart at StarTrek.com
• Patrick Stewart at X (formerly Twitter)
• Patrick Stewart  at Instagram
• Patrick Stewart at the Internet Movie Database
• Patrick Stewart at the Internet Broadway Database
• Patrick Stewart at Wikipedia
• Patrick Stewart at TriviaTribute.com
• ↑ https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Patrick_Stewart

Patrick Stewart (I)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 78

• Contact info
• 27 wins & 60 nominations total

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Locutus of Borg
• Michael Williams
• 1987–1994 • 176 eps
• Professor X (rumored)
• Post-production

• Avery Bullock
• Avery Bullock Sr.
• Avery Bullock as B (voice) ...
• 117 episodes

• Jean-Luc Picard
• 30 episodes

• Professor Charles Xavier

• Nettlebrand (voice)

• Narrator (voice)

• John Bosley

• Adult Merlin

• Patrick the Waterbear
• Baby Susie Swanson (Inner Voice) (voice) ...
• 16 episodes

• Poop (voice, as Sir Patrick Stewart)

• Drago (voice)
• executive producer

• 20 episodes

• associate producer

• co-producer

Personal details

• Sir Patrick Stewart
• 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
• July 13 , 1940
• Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, UK
• Spouses Sunny Ozell September 7, 2013 - present
• Children Sophie Stewart
• Parents Gladys Barrowclough
• Relatives Trevor Stewart (Sibling)
• Other works TV commercial for the Pontiac Grand Am from General Motors (voiceover).
• 30 Interviews
• 19 Articles
• 4 Pictorials
• 38 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia According to Brent Spiner , Stewart largely affected the way Americans pronounce the word "data". On Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) , the name of Spiner's character, Data, was intended to be pronounced "dat-uh", as was commonly used in American English as the time, but Patrick Stewart's used the British pronunciation "day-tah" during the first table read and that was subsequently used for the series. Spiner credits Stewart's pronunciation, coupled with the popularity of the series, for making "day-tah" the more commonly used pronunciation in American English vernacular.
• Quotes [on whether or not he is typecast by audiences as Jean-Luc Picard] I think perhaps when I first walk in front of the camera they'll say, "Aha, there, ah, yeah, Jean-Luc, we recognize him despite that charming little mustache." I believe that audiences are really smart enough to let go of that pretty quickly, but that's also my job as an actor to persuade them that, you know, Jean-Luc Picard is left behind and this is someone entirely different... I mean, I'm an actor dedicated to transforming myself and to creating original pieces of work, and I will not accept that my life is going to be forever connected to Jean-Luc Picard in the roles that I play. On the other hand, I'm absolutely delighted that he's still in my life. Actually, I think my appearance in The Simpsons and an appearance that I did on Sesame Street - in praise of the letter B - were perhaps the two most distinguished bits of work that I've done in the United States. [on his love for Beavis and Butt-Head (1993) ] Oh, yes, my passion for them remains the same... I think it's one of the most original and brilliant pieces of television that we've seen in recent years. The dialogue is delightful. I simply sit and giggle and laugh all the time.
• Trademarks Strong authoritative voice and dedicated Shakespearean bearing
• Salaries Star Trek: Nemesis ( 2002 ) $14,000,000
• How old is Patrick Stewart?
• When was Patrick Stewart born?
• Where was Patrick Stewart born?

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Screen Rant

Picard’s age in tng made him star trek’s dream man.

Picard was 59 in TNG season 1, but Patrick Stewart was only 47, so why did Gene Roddenberry make Picard so much older than the actor portraying him?

In Star Trek: The Next Generation , the captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, is in his fifties and sixties - significantly older than William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk. In Star Trek: The Original Series , Kirk had become captain of the Enterprise at 32 , making him the youngest Starfleet captain to date. So why did Gene Rodenberry, the creator of both series, choose to make the next onscreen captain of the Enterprise nearly a quarter of a century older than Kirk?

The Next Generation  writers and directors guide written by Gene Rodenberry (known colloquially as the series bible), refers to Captain Jean-Luc Picard as being in his early fifties at the beginning of TNG . But Picard’s canonical birthyear is 2305 and TNG begins in 2364, meaning that Picard was 59 in season 1. According to the series bible, humans in the 24th century have a longer lifespan and are physically fit well into their seventies, meaning that people in their 50s are relatively youthful in appearance.

Related:  Star Trek Theory: Seven Of Nine Was Rejected From Starfleet

As the series bible also explains, the longer lifespan of 24th-century humans combined with the physical fitness and life experience of a Starfleet officer meant that Picard was thought to be in the “best years” of his life during the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation . What's interesting, though, is that the entire section on Picard’s age (and the fact that a person’s fifties were considered prime years) was likely written into the bible after Stewart was cast, since several actors had been considered for Picard  - including 23-year-old Stephen Macht, who was offered (and turned down) the role [via Soap Opera Digest ]. The series bible is dated September 8, 1987, which was just weeks before the TNG pilot aired on September 28. This means that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry likely came up with this explanation for Picard’s age after Stewart had already been cast.

Patrick Stewart, who was only 47 in Star Trek: The Next Generation  season 1, was still considered by many fans to be too old to captain the Enterprise. However, that skepticism quickly wore off once they became familiar with Stewart’s portrayal of Picard. Stewart himself was also uncertain at first, but the Royal Shakespeare Company alumnus brought gravitas to a character that became increasingly complex and, due in no small part to Stewart’s portrayal, more likable as the series went on. Stewart’s recent reprisal of the role in Star Trek: Picard has proven that no matter his age , the character of Jean-Luc Picard is timeless.

Stewart considers Captain Jean-Luc Picard to be one of his favorite roles - and many Star Trek fans consider Jean-Luc Picard to be one of the best things about  TNG . As the main character of the show, Captain Jean-Luc Picard played a critical role in the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Patrick Stewart has proven time and again that age is, if anything, an asset for the Picard, both within the universe of the show and in the real world, where the show certainly owes Stewart’s portrayal of Picard for its enduring legacy.

More:  Star Trek: Picard Retcons TNG Romulans & Borg History

Hollywood Life

Patrick Stewart Then & Now: Photos Of The ‘Star Trek’ Actor In Honor Of His 83rd Birthday

Posted: July 13, 2023 | Last updated: April 15, 2024

Patrick Stewart Young: Photos

Patrick Stewart is a true legend! See photos of him through the years in honor of his birthday.

Patrick Stewart: Then & Now

With his commanding presence and illustrious career, Patrick Stewart is an undeniable force to be reckoned with. From his beginnings in the Royal Shakespeare Theater Company to his iconic roles in sci-fi franchises like Star Trek and X-Men , the English thespian has left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry over his decades in the business.

It’s no surprise that Patrick’s trophy case is bursting with awards from the most prestigious organizations in the business, including the Olivier, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and Screen Actors Guild. And let’s not forget his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, bestowed in 1996, or his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his contributions to drama.

Through the years, Mr. Stewart has had quite the career. Here, he appears at an event in Cannes, France on Jun. 23, 2022. He looked dapper in a dark suit.

Now, as he continues to captivate audiences with his talents, we invite you to take a journey through time with the dashing Sir Patrick Stewart. Check out our gallery for a glimpse into his remarkable career.

‘Coronation Street’

Patrick Stewart appears in the long-running British TV show ‘Coronation Street’ in 1967. He played a fireman.

‘Antony and Cleopatra’

Patrick Stewart appears with Corin Redgrave in 1974’s TV version of ‘Antony and Cleopatra’. He played Enobarbus while his castmate was Octavius Caesar.

Patrick Stewart as Reg Weston in the TV show ‘Joby’. It was 1975.

Patrick Stewart & Janet Suzman In 1979

Patrick Stewart and Janet Suzman appear at London’s West End Theatre Awards in 1979. They were castmates in the Royal Shakespeare Company.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’

Ay ay Captain! Patrick Stewart appears as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’. 

Patrick Stewart In 1989

Patrick Stewart attends a concert to Save the Rose Theatre in London’s Southwark neighborhood in 1989. He wore a heathered sweater and cool sunglasses.

Patrick Stewart In 1992

Patrick Stewart is seen in LA in Aug. 1992. It was Paramount Studios’ dedication to N.Y. Street.

Patrick Stewart In 1995

Patrick Stewart c.1995. He looked rather dapper in his jacket, chambray shirt, and chinos.

Patrick Stewart & Wendy Neuss In 1998

Sir Patrick Stewart and second wife Wendy Neuss attend the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in New York on Oct. 21, 1998. They both wore black.

Patrick Stewart & Wife In 2001

Patrick Stewart and wife Wendy beam after he accepts his OBE honor at Buckingham Palace on Jul. 13, 2001. It was his 61st birthday!

Patrick Stewart In 2004

Patrick Stewart is handsome at the Critics Circle Theater Awards in London on Feb. 3, 2004. He gave the cameras a shy smile.

‘X-Men: The Last Stand’

Mutants rise! Patrick Stewart played Charles Xavier, the X-Men’s mentor, in 2006’s ‘X-Men – The Last Stand’.

Patrick Stewart In 2008

Patrick Stewart attends the Cheltenham Literary Festival in Gloucestershire, Britain on Oct. 19, 2008. He wore a sandy green-grey suit.

Patrick Stewart In 2011

Patrick Stewart visits 10 Downing Street to present a letter on the behalf of the Creative Trade Union on Apr. 8, 2011. He was advocating for arts funding.

Patrick Stewart In 2014

Fan favorite! Patrick Stewart sends love to the audience at the Dragon Con Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in Atlanta, Georgia on Aug. 29, 2014.

Patrick Stewart In 2017

Sir Patrick Stewart is sharp in a tux at the BFI Luminous Fundraiser in London on Oct. 3, 2017. Classic!

Patrick Stewart In 2019

Sir Patrick Stewart waves while arriving for a Nov. 12, 2019 appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ He wore a grey suit with a subtle brown grid on it.

Patrick Stewart In 2022

Patrick Stewart arrives at the 2022 CORE Gala hosted by Sean Penn and Ann Lee on Jun. 10, 2022. He wore a stylish striped jacket and black pants for the event.

Patrick Stewart At The Premiere Of ‘Star Trek: Picard’

Patrick Stewart was handsome as ever during the premiere of Picard’s third and final season in Hollywood on February 9, 2023. His burnt orange blazer and brown suit practically lit up the red carpet.

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Breaking news, n.y. appeals court overturns harvey weinstein rape conviction, ‘picard’ star patrick stewart shares season 2 regret and explains why he sounds slightly different in final episodes.

"The fact is, during the seven years of shooting 'TNG,' I truly began to understand that I didn't know where Patrick Stewart left off and Jean-Luc Picard began," the distinguished actor tells THR.

By Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker

Former Senior Reporter

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[Warning: This story contains spoilers for the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard . ] 

As Sir Patrick Stewart watched the season two finale of Star Trek: Picard , he became awash in emotion.

The distinguished, iconic actor, who has played Jean-Luc Picard since the 1987 Star Trek: The Next Generation pilot “Encounter at Farpoint,” realized for him and Q actor John de Lancie, the adventure they began 30 years prior had officially concluded. And the moment was perfect.

Of course, that was not the only scene in “Farewell” that struck a major chord with the Picard star as he viewed the finale episode in the sophomore season of the Paramount+ series, but the final exchange between the two left an indelible impression, a sensation different from that which came on while filming the moment.

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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on the eve of the season two finale, Stewart explored a number of topics that arose from the series, and explained why the experience of making both the second and upcoming third and final seasons, while tremendously rewarding, was also extremely taxing. Stewart also addressed the mental health aspect of this season and why it was personal to him.

I must start by saying this season was extraordinary. You all did a tremendous job with an action-packed — and quite emotional — roller-coaster Star Trek season.

Thank you. It was tough. You know, we were set up to go with season two when the pandemic broke out, so we were shut down and sidelined. About after eight months, I was called up and told, “Look, here’s the plan: We’ve lost a lot of time and we need to record both seasons two and three back-to-back.” Normally, there is a long break between a season’s shooting. But we wrapped season two at about 7 p.m. and started season three at 7 a.m. the next morning. We worked for about 14 months, continually. It was thrilling and exciting much of the time, but it was also for me — who I would imagine is more than double the age of anybody else in this series — tough. ( Laughs .)

There were a number of deeply beautiful and profound moments this season for Picard, especially in the finale. I loved that final chat with Picard and Q. Was that overwhelming, you two starting this adventure in “Farpoint?”

I watched the episode for the first time this morning, and I was so deeply moved by those scenes with John de Lancie and the content of those scenes because he was making himself, as a character, vulnerable. John can bring complexity to the simplest line. I mean that as a compliment. I’m envious. His whole attitude and the things he was saying and his gentleness and sensitivity, it choked me up.

And then when we came to the moment when [Borg Queen] Alison Pill took off her mask. We had this curious angle shot, rather low into her face, looking up into her eyes. I’m afraid I began to weep, it was so touching. Because, of course, it meant that I was saying goodbye to John and to Alison, who are both wonderful actors.

Mental health has been forefront and deeply impactful this season. I’m curious if Picard’s trauma over his mother’s death changed your perception of this character, whom you’ve known for 30 years. We, the viewers, have a better understanding now of this complicated man. How was this new information for you to digest and perform?

My only regret is that once Jean-Luc revealed those hidden facts about his childhood to us, I almost wished we could immediately put him back on the bridge of the Enterprise to hear and see what the impact this revelation had on him. But we couldn’t do that.

There are so many emotional complexities in this whole series that we did not investigate much in Next Generation . I grew up in a violent home and over the years, thanks to lots of very expensive American therapy, it’s something that I think I’ve come to terms with. But the harm that it could do while it was being compressed and kept out and kept back and not acknowledged, it was very dark. I realized this was the same with Jean-Luc.

Now, if you watched episodes nine and 10, you will hear that my voice sounds different. Whenever smoke is used onstage, I have to make a protest because — I know it’s not poisonous, it’s not going to harm — it gets onto the vocal cords. I particularly suffer badly from this. And it made me a little hoarse. So, at first, we were going to rerecord a lot of what I said, but I urged [executive producer] Akiva [Goldsman] and my fellow producers not to do that because the weakness in my voice was reflecting the weakness in the character.

Jean-Luc putting the key back behind the brick knowing his younger self would find it, hence his trauma would take place, reminded me of the TNG episode “Tapestry,” where, after getting stabbed in the heart, he laughs, knowing his timeline is secured. Did you have glimpses of those moments during this series, those callbacks you actually experienced?

The fact is, during the seven years of shooting TNG , I truly began to understand that I didn’t know where Patrick Stewart left off and Jean-Luc Picard began. Over those first few years they just merged, and I found that I was, as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, becoming more and more like Patrick Stewart. So when you get these moments of a character’s situation or his actions or his risks and dangers, those are something you recognize as a person.

There is an exercise in acting called “sense memory” that I was taught at my drama school when I was 17. The basic premise of sense memory is that no experience is ever wasted on an actor. Such as, I recently had injections in my hands, going into the knuckles because I have arthritis. Eight injections. And the first one was tolerable, I thought, “I can live with this.” And then the doctor put the second needle in, and I screamed! I don’t think I’ve ever screamed as an adult before. Of course, they had to do it six more times after that. And each time I told myself, “Patrick, sense memory. Remember every part of this, how it feels, how you reacted to it.”

One of my all-time favorite TNG moments is the final shot, when Jean-Luc finally joins his command crew for a game of poker.

Do you happen to remember the final line?

“Five-card stud, nothing wild. And the sky’s the limit.”

Yes! ( Claps hands. )

Yeah, I’m kind of a huge fan. Anyway, I bring it up because I would love to hear how it feels, after 30 years, to still be playing in the cosmic sandbox with the amazing TNG actors, as we know several of whom will appear on Picard next season.

We have been bonded together for years and years in different ways and for different reasons. I adore them, and I love them all deeply. What they brought into my life in 1987 was rich and complex. They all are as committed as any group of actors I’ve ever worked with. And yes, we had a lot of fun, and we joked. But nevertheless, we were a serious group of actors, and I was so proud of the work that we did.

Interview edited for length and clarity. 

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Patrick Stewart says his time on 'Star Trek' felt like a ministry

Rachel Martin

Legendary actor Patrick Stewart talks about his time on Star Trek and supernatural experiences that have shaped his spirituality.

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

It's Sunday, which means it is time to reflect on how we each find meaning in our lives with our Enlighten Me series with Rachel Martin. This week, she has a guest that is beloved by millions of fans, especially those who like to boldly go where no man has gone before.

RACHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: Sometimes you find comfort in the most unusual places. It was 1997, and I was living in Japan, teaching English to middle school kids. I lived in a tiny village. And in those early days especially, I was pretty lonely, except for my good friends Jean-Luc and Data. The teacher who had lived in my apartment before had left a huge box of VHS tapes. There were enough episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to keep me company for the duration of my time there. So don't worry, I did make real friends in Japan, but that show, those characters navigating the galaxy, were an important touchstone as I explored my own new world. For the most devoted of fans, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" represents far more.

PATRICK STEWART: Its impact on so many people has been extraordinary, ranging from people saying that it became their education to others who said, I was going to end my life, but I couldn't because I wouldn't be able to see "Star Trek" anymore.

MARTIN: That unforgettable voice is that of Sir Patrick Stewart, who played the captain of the Starship Enterprise on "The Next Generation" for seven seasons and in four feature films, and he stars in the latest TV iteration of the franchise, "Picard." I got to talk with Stewart about his new memoir called "Making It So."

There is a bit in the book, early in your career - I think it was your first job - but you were an assistant stage manager. It was your first job in the industry. And you write this beautiful description of what it felt like to be on the stage. And I wondered if you would read that for me.

STEWART: Yes, I can.

MARTIN: Thank you.

STEWART: (Reading) At the end of each performance, I waited for the last actor and the staff to leave the theater before switching off the lights and locking up for the night. Actually, I left on one light in accordance with an old theater tradition whereby a single bare bulb is left on, hanging over the center of the stage. With the theater otherwise deserted, I stood beneath this light every night, taking a moment to breathe in the auditorium and the vibrations of the audience that had just left it. I looked at the set, only recently populated by our company of actors. I was part of all this now. Indeed, I had responsibilities to fulfill, even if they were as a lowly assistant stage manager. This, I thought, is now my home.

MARTIN: Maybe I am projecting, but there is, I think, a sacred quality to how you describe that space. Is that accurate? Did you sense that kind of reverence or sacredness about the theater?

STEWART: Oh, yes.

MARTIN: Yeah.

STEWART: To stand in the middle of an empty stage in an empty theater and feel that I was at home was everything. But it took a while for me to get there.

MARTIN: Did you feel that on a television set?

STEWART: No, I didn't. Cameras made me nervous.

MARTIN: Yeah. You were not Gene Roddenberry's first pick to play Jean-Luc Picard. Taking this role was also going to take you really far from your wife and kids, who lived back in England.

STEWART: Yeah.

MARTIN: Why did you take it?

STEWART: I wasn't going to take it. Indeed, a dear - very dear friend of mine and a very important English actor had said to me, don't do this, Patrick. It's not what you need to do. You're a very good stage actor. That's where you ought to be. Don't do it. Because I had learnt that the contract that I was being offered, which was six years - but I was told we would be lucky to make it through the first season. So don't worry about that. I remember one actor saying to me, look, you know, sign up for this, do six months' work, make some money for the first time in your life and get well-known, get a suntan and go home. And I thought, yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. I could live with that. And, of course, our first series lasted seven seasons, and then we made four feature films.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MARTIN: I talk to a lot of people about spirituality and about the value of spiritual communities, which I think are when people who have similar values gather together and have or seek transcendent experiences. And I think "Star Trek," in all of its incarnations, represents that to a lot of fans. It is a spiritual world. They treat it with religious reverence. Have you encountered that? I mean, do you get it?

STEWART: Yes. I see it very, very clearly and very strongly. It was about truth and fairness and honesty and respect for others, no matter who they were or what strange alien creature they looked like. That was immaterial. They were alive. And if they needed help, Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, his team, were there to give it. So, yes, in a sense, we were ministers. And I have heard now so many times from individuals who have been honest enough and brave enough to tell me aspects of their life, of their health, of their mental health, and how it was all saved and improved by watching every week.

MARTIN: I mean, how did that sit with you? That's an awful lot of responsibility, to be that minister. I mean, you're an actor in a show, and people ascribe to you this wisdom, you as a moral compass for them

STEWART: Yes. I was proud of it and what we did. And I talked to Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton. We talked about this kind of thing often. And it's a glorious feeling 'cause we're just having a good time. We love our jobs. I love acting. And it's...

MARTIN: But didn't that feel incongruous that you are...

STEWART: No.

MARTIN: ...You're acting and you're having fun and - but it had this profound impact? No?

STEWART: It didn't feel at all incongruous because, particularly given the role I was playing, was a man of such profound understanding and empathy. And to feel like that as a person was such a reward for what we were doing because we were enjoying our work, our job. But at the same time, we were changing people's lives.

MARTIN: Did playing Jean-Luc Picard make you a better person?

STEWART: It gave me an idea of how I might become a better person, yes. I was able to absorb that and make those feelings a strong and firm part of my life.

MARTIN: There are several references in your book to the supernatural - experiencing spirits or even hearing your mother's voice after she died. Do you believe in spirits? Do you believe in God? Do you believe in things that are bigger than us like that?

STEWART: Yes. Bigger than us - yes. I believe in presence. And that was why, I think, when I was an assistant stage manager in my first job, I stood on that empty stage under one light - bare light bulb. Because while I was there, breathing quietly, it was as though I was surrounded by all the hundreds of actors who had been on that stage for the last hundred years. And the sense of a presence of good and the presence of evil is what I ascribe all my experiences of this kind to. I believe in it. I don't talk about it very much. It's - and I'm a little uncomfortable talking about it because it sounds wacky but it isn't, actually.

MARTIN: Yeah, but you're Patrick Stewart and you can talk about whatever you want. And...

STEWART: (Laughter).

MARTIN: I mean, come on.

STEWART: Oh, thank you.

MARTIN: You don't have anything left to prove.

STEWART: Thank you. Thank you.

MARTIN: Let me ask you, though. Our time is very short, and I just have one more question. Does your feeling about transcendence and spirits - does that extend to a possible afterlife? You are 83. You have lost a lot of people in your life. You have had to say goodbye to people who have died. What do you think happens? Have you thought about your own mortality in that way?

STEWART: I don't know what happens, but I have a very, very deep and acute feeling that there is more than this life that we lead. But I know, in some people who I've had relationships with, this has been an obsessive set of feelings that they have - fearful and harmful feelings. And instead, I am determined to see them differently. But with - by simply...

MARTIN: You mean seeing the end of life differently?

STEWART: Yes, as a closure of a chapter, not the end of existence. And I believe in that. Increasingly now, as I get older, I brood a little about this, but not despairingly, not depressedly (ph) at all. But just asking myself, am I ready?

MARTIN: Are you, or is that still the journey? That is the longing - to be ready.

STEWART: Yes. I'm getting close, very close. And I am experiencing happiness on a level and of an intensity that I've never experienced in my life before.

MARTIN: I'm so pleased for you.

STEWART: Thank you.

MARTIN: The book is called "Making It So," the aptly titled memoir from actor Patrick Stewart. Sir Patrick, what a pleasure. Thank you so much.

STEWART: And for me too, a great pleasure and a privilege to have been talking to you.

DETROW: You can hear more of Rachel Martin's Enlighten Me series right here, same time next week.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunites for Patrick Stewart’s 80th (and yes, they all wore masks)

Credit: CBS

No pandemic is going to keep the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation from celebrating the 80th birthday of their friend and co-star  Patrick Stewart . They just have to adhere to the proper guidelines and standards to ensure that they stay safe. After all, Stewart did just turn 80. 

Former TNG star LeVar Burton posted a photo on Twitter yesterday showing the cast of the beloved series standing poolside with Stewart. And all of them are wearing masks. 

“A Covid compliant, socially distanced and masked observation of the 80th Birthday of a legend and a friend,” Burton posted , along with the poolside picture of the masked cast, all giving each other some respectable space. 

A Covid compliant, socially distanced and masked observation of the 80th Birthday of a legend and a friend. #bydhttmwfi pic.twitter.com/ibgEB1I90T — LeVar Burton (@levarburton) July 14, 2020

Joining Burton and Stewart are TNG cast members Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner. And although there’s no sign of fellow former cast member Jonathan Frakes, the actor/director also wished his friend and co-star a happy birthday via social media the day before.

“Happy Birthday @sirpatstew 80 great years,” Frakes wrote to his once and future co-star on Twitter on Monday. 

Happy Birthday @sirpatstew 80 great years. 🖖🏾🎬🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/zusu2mxkWD — Jonathan Frakes (@jonathansfrakes) July 13, 2020

Though no pool was involved, back in March, the TNG cast virtually got together via Zoom to celebrate Sirtis’ birthday.

Star Trek: The Next Generation ran for seven seasons from 1987 to 1994. The series then spawned four theatrically-released films: Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

Stewart, who shares a birthday with Harrison Ford (who we hear has appeared from time to time in another popular sci-fi franchise with the word Star in the title), has reprised his role of Jean-Luc Picard in the CBS All Access series, Star Trek: Picard , which also features TNG alum Sirtis, Frakes, and Spiner. Jeez, this cast really does stick together!

All 10 episodes of Star Trek: Picard can be watched on CBS All Access. All 178 episodes of Star Trek: TNG can be watched on Netflix.

• Jonathan Frakes
• Patrick Stewart
• Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Patrick Stewart Explains Why His New Memoir Is 'the Frankest I Have Been About My Life' (Exclusive)

The esteemed stage and screen actor shares his story in his new memoir, 'Making It So,' out now

 MARK SELIGER

Sir Patrick Stewart is finally sharing his story. The Star Trek and X-Men actor gets candid in his highly-anticipated memoir, Making It So , out now from Gallery Books. Stewart delves deep into the trajectory of his career, from his humble beginnings in England to his current place in the Hollywood firmament. “When I see people holding the book in their hands, it first amazes me; and then, I have the feeling of how pleased I am that this exploration of my family life, childhood, growing passion for acting, has grown,” Stewart tells PEOPLE. A longtime lover of books, he says, "As a child, I would look around in the children’s department but found there wasn’t a lot there that I wanted to read. So, I would creep away into the regular adults' section of the library, where I found books that interested me and made me curious."

The idea of penning his own story had been brought up a few times, but Stewart didn’t begin to write until the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation proved fruitful for his creative process, as Stewart’s literary agent assured him that the book “only needs you to create it.” “From the very day I sat in front of my computer, I was lost in the world of remembering my childhood, all aspects from my first earliest recollections at 18 months to two years old, and my later childhood as well,” Stewart says. “I was gripped by it, so I continued. The first draft I presented to my literary agent was 750 pages long.”

Making It So delves into both the good and the challenging aspects of Stewart’s life. He recalls his boyhood in Yorkshire, where his father’s “dark moods” after being “demobbed” from World War II took over the family home. He touches upon the “mixed-up feelings” from childhood that continued throughout the beginning of his professional acting days. “There were passages in the book that were painful to write about, but I knew that by writing about them I was doing myself some benefit and that it would be good for me,” Stewart says.

The actor also shared with PEOPLE some of the highs of his career — his friendship with his X-Men co-star Sir Ian McKellen being one of them. The two were members of the Royal Shakespeare Company during the same period but didn’t work together until the superhero movie franchise, when they landed neighboring trailers.

“When we worked late into the day — which we often did — there would be a glass of wine and a bottle being opened,” Stewart recalls. “As that relationship grew, I came to love him dearly and respect him. He has become possibly my closest friend.”

Stewart also recalls in the book that McKellen “almost bodily prevented” him from signing his Star Trek contract, and to not give up theater for TV.

Paramount Television/Kobal/Shutterstock

While writing has been a good experience for him, Stewart said he's anxious to get back on stage (his last role was the character Hirst in the Lyceum Theatre’s 2016 production of No Man’s Land ). Making It So has left Stewart wondering “if there’s any possibility of me having another shot at writing.” “This is the frankest I have been about my life, my passions, my relationships,” Stewart says. “I do have a tiny wish that the book would give some insights and some encouragement to others.”

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Making It So: A Memoir is now available wherever books are sold.

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