Stewart: Taking On A Role In An Iconic Franchise
1 min read
In a behind-the-scenes interview with Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor talks about his role as Professor Xavier in X-Men, Star Trek, being different, the Civil Rights Movement, and heroes.
Stewart’s behind-the-scenes interview was part of the EPIX documentary With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story.
When first approached to take on a role in X-Men, Stewart was not sure that he wanted the role. “At first I was reluctant to tie myself again to such an iconic…franchise as X-Men. And I think it took two lunches in Beverly Hills to persuade me that I was wrong.
“The turning point for me was, although I didn’t know anything about X-Men, I did know everything there was to know about Bryan Singer the film director and I was a huge fan and that’s what made all the difference to me.”
As was the case with Star Trek, X-Men had a “kind of moral sense that had appealed to me,” said Stewart.
In addition, Stewart was drawn to people who were different, and were “defending their otherness,” against a “suspicious and hostile world.” This was because the actor had himself felt that kind of “otherness,” due to the poverty of his family while growing up. He felt “humiliated by others who had more than me.” It made him feel like an “outsider.”
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