Stewart: Past Star Trek
2 min read
For Sir Patrick Stewart, his Star Trek days are behind him and he’s unlikely to revisit the franchise as an actor.
Stewart made his comments about Star Trek at the Chivas Legends Dinner, where he was recognized for his film and television achievements.
When asked if he could ever be tempted to reprise his role in Star Trek, Stewart said, “Well, it would have to be a very big temptation – and I’m not talking about money. I mean, it would have to be a new, exciting and unusual idea. I’m very proud of the seven years, the 178 episodes and four movies we made. I’m also proud that we’ve helped sustain the popularity of a franchise that’s still ongoing. So, if J.J. Abrams or Paramount were to come up with a really novel idea, then I think it might possibly be entertaining. But I can tell you now, it ain’t gonna happen.”
Stewart will be seen next year on a new television comedy to be produced by Seth MacFarlane, called Blunt Talk, where he will take on the role of a Stephen Colbert-type British TV host of a cable news show. The actor is thrilled to be working on a comedy show. “I’ve had an urge to do more comedy for years, but I was so rarely offered parts,” he said. “The most memorable figures I’ve played, from Charles Xavier of X-Men or Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek, are not exactly full of laughs. But in recent years, I’ve been able to show another face of Patrick Stewart, which I hope is amusing, self-mocking, irreverent and sometimes even a bit coarse.”
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Doesn’t sound like he’s completely closed the door on Trek, it’s more like he doesn’t believe Paramount or JJ could come up with a really novel storyline that would pique his interest. Unfortunately, he’s probably right. If the powers that be at Paramount came up with a story as fantastic and with depth and meaning as Darmok or Inner Light (some of Stewart’s favorites), then he might give it a go.
No what he’s saying is that he has grown accustomed to X-Men level money, money that Paramount and Trek aren’t known for paying.
star trek is dead!!!
If that were true, you wouldn’t have this website to spend time trolling on.
Except for the part where he says it wouldn’t be about money. He does mostly stage work. Can’t imagine that pays more than a role in a Star Trek reboot movie.
I’m sure Mr. Stewart will be back as Picard when the right time comes, whether in the film or series form (perhaps as Picard’s evil counterpart from a parallel universe? Just an idea.) It was such an iconic role and he’s such a great actor that it would be really a shame not to see him in trek again.
Star Trek is primarily science fiction. As long as there are people who love real science fiction as well as the trek characters and stories, Star Trek, in its various incarnations, will always be alive. So you’re wrong.
Recall how many times Nimoy insisted he was done with both Spock, and acting for that matter. Now it’s like we see him practically every couple of months. The meaning here boys and girls, for the right money, opportunity, and situation, they are all available.
Wouldn’t it be great if he would be a part of a simple fan film, maybe just a 10-20 minute short. Something nostalgic about Picard near the end of his life, catching us up on the direction his life took after the time around Nemesis and looking backwards. Could be an emotional piece giving fans some closure for TNG that Nemesis never really offered.
> But in recent years, I’ve been able to show another face of Patrick Stewart, which I hope is amusing, self-mocking, irreverent and sometimes even a bit coarse.”
Hmmm…Sorry, but as much as I love Patrick Stewart, he just can’t do humor. Every time I’ve seen him try to do something funny, it fell flat. I still remember his appearance on Saturday Night Live, and remember in particular thinking at the time that he was acting as if the viewer ought to find everything he was doing as hysterical. As in, trying too hard to be funny. It was cringe-inducing.
Seth MacFarlane is giving him good lines on American Dad, and maybe he has fun doing it…but I can’t see him being the lead in any sort of sitcom.
But then, he’s long established that he can put together a mind-blowing performance–I’ll never question that, and I know from blooper reels and such that he’s got a sense of humor (and he’s credited his TNG cast-mates on multiple interviews for showing him late in his life that he can have fun doing his work). So maybe, just maybe, he can pull it off…?
Whatever. If I can see him in a regular TV role again, I’ll probably be happy.
I kind of hope he comes back one more time. Nemesis didn’t really offer the closure that cast deserves and I’d love to see a proper end to the TNG crew and really just classic ’66-’05 Star Trek period. It could be fun to have something with all five captains possibly.
I remember that SNL episode. The “Sexy Cakes” sketch is still burned into my eyeballs 20 years later and won’t leave.
I’m sure many of us would love the same thing but I can’t imagine a TNG movie being very profitable. Give it ten years and maybe we’ll see a TNG reboot 😛
> Give it ten years and maybe we’ll see a TNG reboot
Please. No. One rebooted series was bad enough.
I can appreciate how Sir Patrick feels. It is over 10 years, a solid decade since he last played Captain Picard. How many of us would return to what we were doing 10 years ago? Having seen him in a couple of documentaries, he is clearly a man who keeps wanting to do new things, have new adventures both on stage and off. – Hes now in his mid seventies, that’s an inspirational attitude to have. He is also a businessman (to be a producer and director he has to be,) so knows it has to be a good bet to be worthy of his time, and everyone else involved. As for comedy I think he is more than capable of delivering on that score, given the right material. – Like any other good actor or comedian.
Re TNG, I accepted that it was over the moment Nemesis bombed. It was simply a bad underwhelming film. But this is the first time I have really felt that there is no real chance of a Star Trek VI style last hurrah for the TNG era of Trek. Unlike DS9 and VGR which ended with their final episodes there is an unwritten chapter here, and that is a shame. Captain Picard, Dr Crusher and the other characters deserve a proper send off. Its disappointing we won’t get it, but that has become all too common in films and television these days.
Picard and crew actually did get a great send-off with “All Good Things”. The mistake was in trying to continue their story AFTER it had ended.