How actor Patrick Stewart moved effortlessly between Shakespeare and Star Trek across a seven-decade career
A childhood drawn to drama
Born Patrick Hewes Stewart in Mirfield, Yorkshire, on 13 July 1940, he grew up in a home affected by his father’s wartime experiences. His father, Alfred, had served as a Sergeant Major in the Parachute Regiment and later struggled with what would now be called post-traumatic stress.
At school, a teacher introduced Stewart to Shakespeare and encouraged him to perform. He found the regularity of drama a relief from the strain at home and began reciting Shakespeare from memory.
Years on stage and screen
Stewart joined local theatre and made his television debut in a 1967 episode of Coronation Street, playing a fireman. His Broadway debut followed in 1970, when he appeared as Snout in Peter Brook’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
He performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in television productions including I, Claudius and The Fall of Eagles. In 1984, he left the RSC for the National Theatre; by then, he had rarely been cast as a leading character.
A new role in Star Trek
Stewart’s career reached a wider audience when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He signed a six-year contract while believing the programme would not last and that he would soon return to theatre.
He had considered wearing a wig during screen tests, but the look was rejected, and Gene Roddenberry advised him to go without one. Stewart initially found the transition difficult, and his effort to urge the cast to take their work more seriously did not make him popular with his fellow actors.
Key points
- Stewart’s career spanned seven decades and encompassed theatre, television and film.
- A school teacher helped spark his interest in Shakespeare and performance.
- He played Captain Jean-Luc Picard after signing a six-year Star Trek contract.
- His honours included a knighthood and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.