Sir Patrick Stewart is quite possibly one of the most recognizable names in both live theater and the film industry. It’s safe to say that he probably wouldn’t be where he’s at today if it weren’t for his iconic role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the classic television seriesStar Trek: The Next Generation.
One of Stewart’s most defining acting roles was his in the sci-fi television series that ran from 1987 to 1994. But not everyone believed it would turn out to be such a huge success; namely Stewart’s very close friend and colleague Sir Ian McKellen.
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In celebration of Stewart’s 80th birthday party, McKellen revealed a few unknown facts to The Guardian, with one of the highlights being his initial discouragement of Stewart taking the role. It was because of Stewart’s “success as a classical actor with the Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre companies” that McKellen warned against accepting the role of Jean-Luc Picard in the sci-fi television show. McKellen has regretted his initial apprehension, stating, “He’s long forgiven me my advice not to risk a solid career on the British stage by falling for an uncertain future inStar Trek.”
McKellen and Stewart have been longtime friends for the better part of fifty years, sharing both the big screen in live stage productions, with more recently starred together in the 2013 Broadway revival ofWaiting for Godot.The classically trained actors shared the big screen multiple times inthe sci-fi superhero franchiseX-Menthroughout the 2000s, with Stewart playing Professor X and McKellen as his evil supervillain counterpart, Magneto.
As most now know, Stewart’s role as Captain Picard was far from a bad career choice, withThe Next Generationgoing on to have seven seasons, receiving both a critical and commercial success, anda slew of Picard memes.
Additionally, Stewart has gone on to star in four Star Trek films and most recently has revisited the role of the space captain inthe new CBS television seriesPicard.
TheStar Trekfranchise is now a massive franchise, withbrand-new video games, television spin-offs, and new movies continuing to release today.
Picardis now streaming on CBS All Access.
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