Patrick Stewart is looking back on a heated encounter he had with his cast as a member of Star Trek.
The 83-year-old screen legend has been working in Hollywood for decades now, and one of his most beloved and long-lasting roles has been playing Jean-Luc Picard in the fantasy world.
Despite having a long-lasting connection to the Star Trek universe, Patrick recently admitted that there were some rocky moments at the start when he joined Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.
In fact, he even recalled storming off set once. He opened up about what happened and explained why he was wrong for his behavior while teasing his forthcoming Making It So: A Memoir.
Read more about Patrick Stewart’s Stat Trek memories…
In an excerpt of his memoir obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick recalls being “a severe b-stard” thanks to his training at the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theater. Things were different with Star Trek.
“On the TNG set, I grew angry with the conduct of my peers, and that’s when I called that meeting in which I lectured the cast for goofing off and responded to Denise Crosby’s, ‘We’ve got to have some fun sometimes, Patrick’ comment by saying, ‘We are not here, Denise, to have fun,’” he revealed, adding that it is now a “hilarious” memory.
However, “In the moment, when the cast erupted in hysterics at my pompous declaration, I didn’t handle it well. I didn’t enjoy being laughed at. I stormed off the set and into my trailer, slamming the door.”
Jonathan Frakes (William Riker) and Brent Spiner (Data) helped him see reason, with Brent telling him that he “misjudged the situation.”
“He and Jonathan acknowledged that yes, there was too much goofing around and that it needed to be dialed back. But they also made it clear how off-putting it was — and not a case study in good leadership — for me to try to resolve the matter by lecturing and scolding the cast,” Patrick wrote. “I had failed to read the room, imposing RSC behavior on people accustomed to the ways of episodic television — which was, after all, what we were shooting.”
Did you know that there was a Star Trek movie that never got made? It was set to star two very famous actors.
