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Mr.Picard

The Sir Patrick Stewart Topic

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Sir Patrick was a guest at The One (BBC) yesterday. I couldn't watch it since I don't live in the UK (humph, it's not my fault that I live where I live), but I did find this little piece of information, and friends from the UK have told me that he did indeed talk about this:

 

Stewart's Shock At Knighthood

 

 

British actor SIR PATRICK STEWART would like to relive the moment he learned of his knighthood - and not open the official letter informing him of the high honour in a hotel room on his own.

 

The 69-year-old thespian was saluted for his 50-year acting career in Queen Elizabeth II's New Year's Honours list at the beginning of 2010 - but he mistakenly took the correspondence on location with him last year (09), while he was shooting MACbeth.

 

And he forgot about it for four days.

 

He confesses, "I was on location in North Nottinghamshire. We were filming MACbeth and I'd brought a big envelope from my agent and put it in a closet and left it there for three or four days.

 

"I was leaving early one morning and thought, 'I've got five minutes', and started going through stuff and there it was. (I was) sitting in this all-brown hotel room at about quarter past six on a November morning when I saw it.

 

"The frustrating thing was we were shooting a big scene that day with most of the cast and what I wanted to do was rush on the set and go, 'Guys, you'll never believe what has happened!' but of course I couldn't."

 

The former Star Trek captain insists the new title hasn't gone to his head: "I do not insist on it, not at all - but if you care to (use it) I won't protest. I'm delighted and thrilled and never thought something like this would happen to me."

 

(Source)

 

 

Aaaand then there's this little rumor. It has NOT yet been confirmed, though!

 

 

Acclaimed Tony Award nominated actor Sir Patrick Stewart will return to Broadway in David Mamet's 'A Life in the Theatre'. Stewart will portray the lead character of 'Robert', a role he previously played in the 2005 production at London's Apollo Theatre. 'A Life in the Theatre' will be directed by Neil Pepe. Additional cast will be announced at a later date.

 

(Source)

That must have been amazing to open an envelope in a hotel and discover you are a knight!

 

Hope that rumor is true about Patrick and the Mamet play. Your "rumors" are usually pretty darn accurate!

 

Thanks again for all the great info you post!

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That must have been amazing to open an envelope in a hotel and discover you are a knight!

 

Hope that rumor is true about Patrick and the Mamet play. Your "rumors" are usually pretty darn accurate!

 

Thanks again for all the great info you post!

 

 

You're very welcome! ^^

 

The rumor does appear to be true, his official website reported about it as well yesterday, which is always a good indicator as to whether a rumor is true or not (the people who run the site have to get every single bit of news confirmed by his agent before they may post it). It's April Fools today, so, I hope the whole thing wasn't a long-planned hoax (*facepalm* *lol*), but since there had indeed been various rumors that he would come back to Broadway this year, the whole thing is unlikely to be a hoax IMO. I did see him in that very Mamet play myself in 2005, and he was absolutely amazing. The most vivid memory that I have is him in his underwear right there on that stage. :clap:

 

I bet it was amazing for him to open that letter - and I can imagine how hard it was for him not to tell everyone else about it for quite some time! He loves to talk and talk and talk in general - and to be forced into silence about this issue must've been awful for the poor guy. :clap:

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Click here and then on PHOTOS/REHEARSALS in order to have a look at Sir Patrick during BINGO (his new play) rehearsals! :Hmmm...:

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A new and rather long interview!

 

 

Patrick Stewart can't wait for Chichester role

 

 

 

Some would have us believe the world begins and ends in Hollywood, but don't try telling Patrick Stewart that.

 

'The past five or six years since I returned to the UK have been the best of my life,' he says. 'When I made the decision to try to revive my classical stage career here, I never allowed myself to expect it would turn out as well as it has.

 

'It has been both challenging and totally rewarding. It has been all I ever wanted to do since I was 14 – to be on stage doing great plays with great actors and directors in wonderful theatres.'

 

He is now approaching 70 and is returning to Chichester as Sir Patrick, having been knighted in the New Year Honours for services to drama. But he is relaxed about whether we call him Sir Patrick or just plain Patrick.

 

'I'm still a little bit dazzled by the whole experience,' he says, 'but delighted. And I'm very much looking forward to the ceremony in June.'

 

That will be just after he has appeared as William Shakespeare in Edward Bond's play, Bingo, in the Minerva Theatre. He has established himself at the forefront of his profession since returning home to do those great plays with great actors.

 

'England is the best place to do that if you are an English-speaking actor, and to find a sequence of productions – five Shakespeares, an Ibsen and a Beckett (Waiting For Godot with Sir Ian McKellen) – this is the kind of experience I always longed to have. I had come to realise I wasn't going to get that in Hollywood, despite the success and excitement of all my work there.'

 

He admits his fame in Star Trek (as Jean-Luc Picard) and in X-Men gave him a higher public profile, but says it also became an albatross. 'One distinguished Hollywood director I wanted to work for said to me "Why would I want Captain Picard in my movie?" That was painful. I'm not saying that's all over. On the contrary, next year I hope to be active in film again. But I'm hoping in a way to go in through the back door rather than wearing the Star Trek spacesuit.'

 

And for now he is more than happy to be back on stage in Chichester, where in 2007 he played not only the title role in a multi-award-winning modern-dress Macbeth but Malvolio in Twelfth Night.

 

Patrick speaks in the rich though not fruity tones of the classical actor, but he grew up in working-class West Yorkshire, dropped out of school with no qualifications and began his working career at 15 as a reporter on his local newspaper.

 

But his heart was so little in it that he invented stories, he says.

 

 

Find the rest of the interview over here.

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yes it must be very rewarding for him. He is such a full range actor and we were able to see glimpses of that in Star Trek. Not hardly enough though.

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^

 

Indeed. ^^ But then, TNG was a show that had more than one major character, which is why Sir Patrick couldn't display his full acting abilities - there had to be room for the other characters as well. But then, they did give us episodes like "Sarek", "Chain Of Command, Part II" or "The Inner Light" where he could show what he can really do. Just not as extensively as he can do on a stage, of course...

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And another new interview!

 

 

 

INTERVIEW: Patrick Stewart returns to the Chichester Festival Theatre

 

 

Patrick Stewart is known to millions as Star Trek's Captain Jean Luc Picard and as X-Men's Professor X from his high-profile Hollywood days. But the deepest satisfactions have always been found on the stage, he says. In the past six years, since his return from Los Angeles, Patrick has devotedly pursued his love of Shakespeare in a string of acclaimed productions, not least Macbeth and Twelfth Night three years ago here in Chichester.

 

Now he's back at the Festival Theatre once again, this time taking his love of Shakespeare to the next level.

 

This time, he really is playing Shakespeare, the man himself, in Edward Bond's Bingo: Scenes Of Money And Death which opens this year's summer season in the Minerva tonight (April 15-May 22).

 

It's a project which fills him with pleasure.

 

Prior to taking command of the Starship Enterprise, Patrick had established himself as one of England's foremost leading actors. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, launching a 26-year association which saw him work with directors Trevor Nunn, Peter Hall and Peter Brook and star in productions including Anthony And Cleopatra, The Merchant Of Venice, Henry IV and Richard III.

 

And it's to this side of his career that he's now returned.

 

"I came back to this country because I wanted to see if I could relaunch my career as a classical actor in the UK", he says. "I didn't know if it was possible. I didn't know if I had been away too long, if I would be allowed to jump back into the theatrical community. But I knew I had to give it a shot. While I was busy and successful working in Hollywood, it was never really what I wanted to do."

 

The opportunities certainly existed in the States including memorable productions of The Tempest and Othello: "I did do some classical work, but I wanted to really immerse myself."

 

Which is exactly what he's now done – with spectacular success.

 

So did it feel like he'd ever been away?

 

"I think that my instincts are more developed now than they were. I did a lot of challenging work in the 17 years that I lived in LA – work in film and TV and stage. But I think one of the things that the experience gave me was confidence, a lot more than I had had before – and that's something that I have been able to bring into the work in the last five or six years."

 

 

 

Read the rest of the interview over here.

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Very interesting interview. Thanks for posting it.

 

Patrick certainly seems the right choice for this role, with his many connections to Stratford and the works of Shakespeare, plus his life experiences. Perhaps this play will be performed elsewhere in the future. Would love to see it.

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Very interesting interview. Thanks for posting it.

 

Patrick certainly seems the right choice for this role, with his many connections to Stratford and the works of Shakespeare, plus his life experiences. Perhaps this play will be performed elsewhere in the future. Would love to see it.

 

 

You're welcome! :blush2:

 

Hehe yeah it wouldn't be the first play to go the Chichester-London-Broadway road! Definitely not! :Hmmm...:

 

 

 

More news:

 

 

 

 

's a short Hamlet-related Youtube-video.

 

 

And here's a new interview from today:

 

 

Patrick Stewart is reprising the role he has campaigned 20 years to play.

 

 

 

Sir Patrick Stewart nearly flung his knighthood in the bin. The letter came in such a nondescript manila envelope that it sat in a Sainsbury’s bag full of other unopened post at the bottom of a cupboard until, at 6am one morning last November, with nothing better to do before filming Hamlet with David Tennant, he sorted through the contents.

 

In the envelope, together with a box-ticking questionnaire about gender and ethnicity, he found a letter from the Cabinet Office announcing that he had been awarded a knighthood for “services to drama”. “I was stunned,” he says. “I recall wandering around this brown hotel room in north Nottingham not knowing what to do next. The letter specifically said it was confidential so I couldn’t tell anyone, but what I wanted to do was to rush on set and say: 'You will never believe it!’?”

 

Discretion, and time difference, also stopped 69-year-old Stewart from calling his girlfriend, thirtysomething jazz singer Sunny Ozell, in New York, or the two children from the first of his two marriages. So he kept mum and, no doubt, inwardly glowed in a slightly unearthly, Star Trekky way. If further endorsement were needed that his decision to leave Hollywood after 17 years and return to Britain in 2004 had been a success, this was it.

 

Not that it had seemed like a good move initially. “I didn’t get any work for six months,” he says. “I hammered away at the Royal Shakespeare Company, saying: 'Please cast me?” Eventually the call came. Greg Doran wanted him to play the title role in Anthony and Cleopatra, opposite Harriet Walter. But his return to Shakespearean acting had a “calamitous” beginning.

 

On opening night the fire alarm went off and the theatre was evacuated, leaving Stewart kicking his heels on the Stratford grass wearing Roman costume, alongside the audience and critics. But he kept going, the reviews were good and the rest was… certainly not silence.

 

Sir Patrick loves to talk and does so in great long rolling sentences, each word beautifully enunciated as if he were addressing a packed house, not chatting over a salad in the café of the Chichester Festival Theatre.

 

For 20 years he has campaigned to revive the Edward Bond play Bingo, in which he first starred 28 years ago. Finally, when the Chichester programme sprang a gap, artistic director Jonathan Church let him have his way. Once again, he will play William Shakespeare during the last, unproductive and – according to Bond – troubled days of his life.

 

Read the rest of the interview over here.

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Another interview!

 

 

Patrick Stewart Talks About 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth' and His IT Guy... Wil Wheaton

 

 

 

Most people know the recently-knighted Patrick Stewart from his movie and TV roles, many of which are of the sci fi / fantasy variety. Of course, there's Jean-Luc Picard of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' but there's also Charles Xavier in the 'X-Men' series and the voice of Avery Bullock on 'American Dad.'

 

But back in his native England, Sir Patrick is just as well known for his Shakespearean work, both on-stage and on the screen. Some of that work will be on display on April 28, when he reprises the role of Claudius (he first played the role on TV 30 years ago) in PBS's production of 'Hamlet' on 'Great Performances.' As Nick mentioned yesterday, the production, with David Tennant in the title role, mixes the classic dialogue with modern dress and settings to give the play a more contemporary feel.

 

Stewart will also perform in the title role of 'Macbeth' for a similarly-staged production airing on PBS later this year. I sat down with Sir Patrick in January, when he presented at the TCAs; we spoke about the two productions, what his classic training brought to his 'Star Trek' role, his guest turn on 'Extras' and how his first ever IT guy was none other than Wil Wheaton.

 

What are the difficulties of taking a stage production of a Shakespearean play, putting it on TV, and changing up some of the paradigms, like not having period costumes, or changing the language?

In the case of both of these productions ('Hamlet' and 'Macbeth'), they look as they looked on stage, in terms of their period. I have done both over the past five years. I've been in five Shakespeare productions, major productions. Four of them have been in 20th century dress. One of them, 'Antony and Cleopatra,' was set in period Roman and Egyptian costumes And I wouldn't have had it any other way. Because the costumes were redolent, and everything that was in the play. On the other hand, I love William Shakespeare in (modern) dress because it immediately removes you from that, any slight awkwardness of being in costume and having to deal with, you know... And of knowing that sometimes you look like a painting and not like a human being.

 

So as an actor, it actually makes you feel more comfortable?

It does, yeah, yeah. I must say it does. And certainly with the 'Hamlet,' I mean, I had a series of beautifully made suits to wear, two of which were my own. The production couldn't afford to make all those suits for me. And then in the 'Macbeth,' where we gave it this sort of certain kind of iron curtain, cold war feeling, some unnamed European country... Although the big guy with the mustache seemed to remind us of someone... It just, I don't know, I find it liberating.

 

When these plays are adapted, usually into modern dress, what is the motivation usually? Is it to bring the viewer closer to the production?

That, as well as to give the play sometimes quite specific contemporary resonances.

 

'Macbeth' has definitely a noir-ish feel to it...

(chuckles) You bet!

 

What was the goal there? Was it to connect the play in the mind of the viewer, with a certain period?

We hoped that the references would spark images, sensations, associations, with contemporary society that would make the play relevant for today, without losing any of its rich, you know, 17th century status.

 

Are you trying to build a different world, or a different feeling in 'Macbeth' than 'Hamlet?'

Oh very different, yes. In 'Hamlet,' with its black walls reflecting surfaces, doors that open and close where there don't seem to be any doors there, mirrors everywhere, that sense of a society being, at the same time enclosed and observed. So it gives it almost a sort of laboratory feeling.

 

In a production like this where you're using modern costumes, but you're using the original language, do you think the viewer eases into it and gets used to it? Or do you think it's something that's difficult for viewers to get into, especially if they're not familiar with some of these productions?

Look, it's difficult for me. I go and see a play like 'Cymbeline,' say, or 'Timon of Athens,' or what did I see the other night, 'All's Well That Ends Well,' plays I've never been in, I'm not very familiar with them. Oh yeah, for the first five or ten minutes, I'm struggling, almost breaking out in sweat, concentrating on that language, you know, what's going on. It's hard. And if it's hard for me, who's spent 50 years with this stuff in my mouth, what is it like for somebody (clicks) who says 'Let's see what's on tonight' and turns on the television? So we are, all of us, hyper-sensitive to making it accessible.

 

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart in 'Hamlet' on CBSWhen you were working together, did you and David Tennant -- because of your 'Star Trek' history and his 'Doctor Who' history -- trade any sci fi convention stories or anything like that? Or talk about sci fi fans?

No, not really. We talked a lot about, 'How do you approach work like that?' David had been a Shakespearean actor before 'Doctor Who,' as I'd been. How do you deal with this, in his case -- well I guess it's science fiction, it's not fantasy is it? -- 'Doctor Who?' What do you bring to it? What in our work proved to be helpful to doing these other things? Where did the performance become released, based on previous experiences?

 

In your case, what did all your Shakespearean experience bring to playing a role like Jean-Luc Picard all those years, in a genre that's so different from what you had been doing?

Well, in a word, is difficult. But I would say it brought gravitas maybe.

 

Do you think that's what attracted a lot of people to that version of 'Trek?' Because there was more gravitas and more seriousness to it?

Yeah. I hope so. That's what we tried to bring. I mean, we had a lot of fun, too. Of course, fantastic fun. But yeah, we took it seriously. And so if I'm standing there talking to, you know, some alien on the view screen, or an oil slick, which I did once have a conversation with, or a grain of rice that I talked to once, you know, you better take that seriously.

 

Wil Wheaton used to write for our site; he would take the season one episodes of 'Next Generation' and do recaps with his funny spin on them. What's interesting about his recaps is that in the first season everybody was feeling things out, and trying to figure out what was going on. When you look back now, did you think that it would still be such a well-remembered show?

(whispered) Noooo... No. I was told we wouldn't make it through the first season. Everybody I went to ask, 'What should I do, I've been offered this job, what should I do?' A few people I knew in Hollywood, their opinions ranged from, 'You'll be lucky to do all 26 episodes,' through to 'Eh, a couple years maximum.' Nobody... nobody... banked on it.

 

Do you think it's interesting that Wil's now this geek icon now?

He always was. He set up my first computer. The then-head of Apple, Jean-Louis Gassée (was a) big 'Star Trek' fan. And one day, all these boxes arrived. I didn't have a computer, (just) an electric typewriter. All these boxes arrived and Wil saw them there. And I don't know, somewhere said (high pitched and excited) 'Wow! Man! You've got all this cool stuff!' I mean, literally, that was the dialogue. And he said, 'You gotta let me set it up!' So he came around with another friend of ours during the production, and he set up my first computer.

 

Then you knew that was a sign of things to come?

Sure. Absolutely. No question of it.

 

I still remember your guest shot on 'Extras.' When Ricky Gervais approached you to do that, what was your impression of it? Did you like skewering your image like that?

Well, I've never been given such an opportunity before. And I'll tell you how it happened. I'm in my market in Bermanzi and my phone rings. And I say, 'Hello?' And this voice says, 'Oh, uh, Patrick, it's Ricky, it's Ricky Gervais.' And I say, 'Yeah, yeah, sure, come on.' Because I've got a friend who does brilliant impersonations. And he says, 'No, no, no, no, it really is Ricky Gervais... listen, have you got a minute?' And he pitched the idea to me.

And I watch 'The Office.' I've been converted to 'The Office;' I didn't get it at first, but then I did get it. I'd heard about this series they were shooting. I saw (the script) less than 24 hours before we shot it. And every word in that scene is scripted. Nothing was improvised or made up. That's the brilliance of those two guys, Steve (Merchant) and Ricky. And it was one of the most fun mornings of my life.

 

Do people still come up to you and talk to you about that?

All the time. All the time. I, for a time, was seeing someone, and she called me up one day and said, "I just had a call from my father. He was on a plane and he saw you being interviewed when all you were doing was talking about seeing women's clothes fall off... (and he said) What the hell is this?" He believed it! He thought it was a real interview Now, I said, "Well, you just paid me a huge compliment. And Ricky."

 

 

(Source)

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New BINGO production photos! They can be found over here - click PHOTOS-PRODUCTION and have a look at Sir Patrick Stewart as William Shakespeare. :Hmmm...:

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What a great interview! It's always fun to hear Patrick talk about doing Shakespeare. I love the Ricky Gervais story concerting Extras. And the Wil story about setting up the computer is a classic too.

 

Another interview!

 

 

Patrick Stewart Talks About 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth' and His IT Guy... Wil Wheaton

 

 

 

Most people know the recently-knighted Patrick Stewart from his movie and TV roles, many of which are of the sci fi / fantasy variety. Of course, there's Jean-Luc Picard of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' but there's also Charles Xavier in the 'X-Men' series and the voice of Avery Bullock on 'American Dad.'

 

But back in his native England, Sir Patrick is just as well known for his Shakespearean work, both on-stage and on the screen. Some of that work will be on display on April 28, when he reprises the role of Claudius (he first played the role on TV 30 years ago) in PBS's production of 'Hamlet' on 'Great Performances.' As Nick mentioned yesterday, the production, with David Tennant in the title role, mixes the classic dialogue with modern dress and settings to give the play a more contemporary feel.

 

Stewart will also perform in the title role of 'Macbeth' for a similarly-staged production airing on PBS later this year. I sat down with Sir Patrick in January, when he presented at the TCAs; we spoke about the two productions, what his classic training brought to his 'Star Trek' role, his guest turn on 'Extras' and how his first ever IT guy was none other than Wil Wheaton.

 

What are the difficulties of taking a stage production of a Shakespearean play, putting it on TV, and changing up some of the paradigms, like not having period costumes, or changing the language?

In the case of both of these productions ('Hamlet' and 'Macbeth'), they look as they looked on stage, in terms of their period. I have done both over the past five years. I've been in five Shakespeare productions, major productions. Four of them have been in 20th century dress. One of them, 'Antony and Cleopatra,' was set in period Roman and Egyptian costumes And I wouldn't have had it any other way. Because the costumes were redolent, and everything that was in the play. On the other hand, I love William Shakespeare in (modern) dress because it immediately removes you from that, any slight awkwardness of being in costume and having to deal with, you know... And of knowing that sometimes you look like a painting and not like a human being.

 

So as an actor, it actually makes you feel more comfortable?

It does, yeah, yeah. I must say it does. And certainly with the 'Hamlet,' I mean, I had a series of beautifully made suits to wear, two of which were my own. The production couldn't afford to make all those suits for me. And then in the 'Macbeth,' where we gave it this sort of certain kind of iron curtain, cold war feeling, some unnamed European country... Although the big guy with the mustache seemed to remind us of someone... It just, I don't know, I find it liberating.

 

When these plays are adapted, usually into modern dress, what is the motivation usually? Is it to bring the viewer closer to the production?

That, as well as to give the play sometimes quite specific contemporary resonances.

 

'Macbeth' has definitely a noir-ish feel to it...

(chuckles) You bet!

 

What was the goal there? Was it to connect the play in the mind of the viewer, with a certain period?

We hoped that the references would spark images, sensations, associations, with contemporary society that would make the play relevant for today, without losing any of its rich, you know, 17th century status.

 

Are you trying to build a different world, or a different feeling in 'Macbeth' than 'Hamlet?'

Oh very different, yes. In 'Hamlet,' with its black walls reflecting surfaces, doors that open and close where there don't seem to be any doors there, mirrors everywhere, that sense of a society being, at the same time enclosed and observed. So it gives it almost a sort of laboratory feeling.

 

In a production like this where you're using modern costumes, but you're using the original language, do you think the viewer eases into it and gets used to it? Or do you think it's something that's difficult for viewers to get into, especially if they're not familiar with some of these productions?

Look, it's difficult for me. I go and see a play like 'Cymbeline,' say, or 'Timon of Athens,' or what did I see the other night, 'All's Well That Ends Well,' plays I've never been in, I'm not very familiar with them. Oh yeah, for the first five or ten minutes, I'm struggling, almost breaking out in sweat, concentrating on that language, you know, what's going on. It's hard. And if it's hard for me, who's spent 50 years with this stuff in my mouth, what is it like for somebody (clicks) who says 'Let's see what's on tonight' and turns on the television? So we are, all of us, hyper-sensitive to making it accessible.

 

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart in 'Hamlet' on CBSWhen you were working together, did you and David Tennant -- because of your 'Star Trek' history and his 'Doctor Who' history -- trade any sci fi convention stories or anything like that? Or talk about sci fi fans?

No, not really. We talked a lot about, 'How do you approach work like that?' David had been a Shakespearean actor before 'Doctor Who,' as I'd been. How do you deal with this, in his case -- well I guess it's science fiction, it's not fantasy is it? -- 'Doctor Who?' What do you bring to it? What in our work proved to be helpful to doing these other things? Where did the performance become released, based on previous experiences?

 

In your case, what did all your Shakespearean experience bring to playing a role like Jean-Luc Picard all those years, in a genre that's so different from what you had been doing?

Well, in a word, is difficult. But I would say it brought gravitas maybe.

 

Do you think that's what attracted a lot of people to that version of 'Trek?' Because there was more gravitas and more seriousness to it?

Yeah. I hope so. That's what we tried to bring. I mean, we had a lot of fun, too. Of course, fantastic fun. But yeah, we took it seriously. And so if I'm standing there talking to, you know, some alien on the view screen, or an oil slick, which I did once have a conversation with, or a grain of rice that I talked to once, you know, you better take that seriously.

 

Wil Wheaton used to write for our site; he would take the season one episodes of 'Next Generation' and do recaps with his funny spin on them. What's interesting about his recaps is that in the first season everybody was feeling things out, and trying to figure out what was going on. When you look back now, did you think that it would still be such a well-remembered show?

(whispered) Noooo... No. I was told we wouldn't make it through the first season. Everybody I went to ask, 'What should I do, I've been offered this job, what should I do?' A few people I knew in Hollywood, their opinions ranged from, 'You'll be lucky to do all 26 episodes,' through to 'Eh, a couple years maximum.' Nobody... nobody... banked on it.

 

Do you think it's interesting that Wil's now this geek icon now?

He always was. He set up my first computer. The then-head of Apple, Jean-Louis Gassée (was a) big 'Star Trek' fan. And one day, all these boxes arrived. I didn't have a computer, (just) an electric typewriter. All these boxes arrived and Wil saw them there. And I don't know, somewhere said (high pitched and excited) 'Wow! Man! You've got all this cool stuff!' I mean, literally, that was the dialogue. And he said, 'You gotta let me set it up!' So he came around with another friend of ours during the production, and he set up my first computer.

 

Then you knew that was a sign of things to come?

Sure. Absolutely. No question of it.

 

I still remember your guest shot on 'Extras.' When Ricky Gervais approached you to do that, what was your impression of it? Did you like skewering your image like that?

Well, I've never been given such an opportunity before. And I'll tell you how it happened. I'm in my market in Bermanzi and my phone rings. And I say, 'Hello?' And this voice says, 'Oh, uh, Patrick, it's Ricky, it's Ricky Gervais.' And I say, 'Yeah, yeah, sure, come on.' Because I've got a friend who does brilliant impersonations. And he says, 'No, no, no, no, it really is Ricky Gervais... listen, have you got a minute?' And he pitched the idea to me.

And I watch 'The Office.' I've been converted to 'The Office;' I didn't get it at first, but then I did get it. I'd heard about this series they were shooting. I saw (the script) less than 24 hours before we shot it. And every word in that scene is scripted. Nothing was improvised or made up. That's the brilliance of those two guys, Steve (Merchant) and Ricky. And it was one of the most fun mornings of my life.

 

Do people still come up to you and talk to you about that?

All the time. All the time. I, for a time, was seeing someone, and she called me up one day and said, "I just had a call from my father. He was on a plane and he saw you being interviewed when all you were doing was talking about seeing women's clothes fall off... (and he said) What the hell is this?" He believed it! He thought it was a real interview Now, I said, "Well, you just paid me a huge compliment. And Ricky."

 

 

(Source)

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I enjoyed reading that interview as well. (I do NOT like it that some websites think they're super-smart in re-posting their old interviews from January, though. lol This interview was new, though - well, new as in hadn't been posted so far, it was obviously done in January when Sir Patrick was in the US.) I loved the Wil Wheaton story the most. And he's right about the Extras scene - quite a few people asked ME as well "what the hell is wrong with Patrick Stewart???" because they thought it was a real interview! lol He's not the only who had to explain that it's part of a comedy show! lol

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is a video in which Sir Patrick talks about hair loss. (Careful, the story at the end is a bit disturbing.)

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Links to five BINGO reviews: here.

 

 

And here is a TV Guide interview (well, an excerpt, the link to the entire interview is at the bottom):

 

 

Patrick Stewart Boldly Goes Back to Shakespeare

 

 

[...]

 

 

Will you be like Olivier and downplay your title, or be like Ben Kinglsey and annoyingly insist that everyone call you Sir?

People are not aware that before I came to Hollywood I was known exclusively in the profession as Pat Stewart, so I’ve been thinking that I might like to be called Sir Pat. It has a kind of ease and familiarity about it. So we’ll see if I can encourage that. But you know, in the U.K., you are not allowed to get away with any bulls--t where this is concerned. More than half of the congratulatory emails and texts and letters I’ve received have contained jokes. Last night, I threw a celebratory dinner for all my Next Generation pals. Happily, everyone in the cast was in town at the same time. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Well, it was a glorious, very emotional evening, and even they were saying, “Do we have to call you Sir Captain now?” [Laughs]

 

How would your late parents have reacted to your knighthood?

My mother would have been overwhelmed. My father, who was a military man, would have been immensely proud. [His eyes get misty.] That’s the one measure of sadness about this honor—they are not here to see it happen. You know, for 15 years of my youth we lived in a house on Camm Lane that was known as a one-up, one-down—meaning one room upstairs, one downstairs, no toilet. My brothers and I slept in our parents’ bedroom with a partition between us. It’s such a long time ago. [He starts to choke up.] To think about that now so moves me. It’s a long way from Camm Lane.

 

 

(The rest is over here).

Edited by Mrs.Picard

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Hi everyone,

 

since I'm doing this sort of topic thingy on a lot of other boards, I thought why not doing it here as well, here, the first English-speaking Trek message board I registered at when I became a Trek fan... wow, that was a long time ago...

 

Those of you who remember me probably also remember that I'm a huge fan of Sir Patrick Stewart. I try to know everything about him, which is proving to be a rather challenging task sometimes.

Like Takara said, of course we remember you. You're one of the Founders. :Hmmm...:

 

It has been a while ago that you joined, we're coming up on 7 years since your join date! I'm not sure if I knew that this was the first English speaking board that you had joined though. I'm glad you did.

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Hi everyone,

 

since I'm doing this sort of topic thingy on a lot of other boards, I thought why not doing it here as well, here, the first English-speaking Trek message board I registered at when I became a Trek fan... wow, that was a long time ago...

 

Those of you who remember me probably also remember that I'm a huge fan of Sir Patrick Stewart. I try to know everything about him, which is proving to be a rather challenging task sometimes.

Like Takara said, of course we remember you. You're one of the Founders. :wine:

 

It has been a while ago that you joined, we're coming up on 7 years since your join date! I'm not sure if I knew that this was the first English speaking board that you had joined though. I'm glad you did.

 

Aww thank you! I remember you as well, of course. Remember the fun we had with all the manipped wedding pics all these years ago? :Hmmm...: Yeah I know, it's been almost 7 years... which matches my "was obsessed with TNG first, then Jean-Luc and then shortly after that, Patrick Stewart" time, actually. :blush2: Yes this was the first English-speaking board I joined. I remember how nervous I was. And I was constantly worried about making grammar/spelling mistakes... :spock:

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Hi everyone,

 

since I'm doing this sort of topic thingy on a lot of other boards, I thought why not doing it here as well, here, the first English-speaking Trek message board I registered at when I became a Trek fan... wow, that was a long time ago...

 

Those of you who remember me probably also remember that I'm a huge fan of Sir Patrick Stewart. I try to know everything about him, which is proving to be a rather challenging task sometimes.

Like Takara said, of course we remember you. You're one of the Founders. :)

 

It has been a while ago that you joined, we're coming up on 7 years since your join date! I'm not sure if I knew that this was the first English speaking board that you had joined though. I'm glad you did.

 

Aww thank you! I remember you as well, of course. Remember the fun we had with all the manipped wedding pics all these years ago? :Hmmm...: Yeah I know, it's been almost 7 years... which matches my "was obsessed with TNG first, then Jean-Luc and then shortly after that, Patrick Stewart" time, actually. :blush2: Yes this was the first English-speaking board I joined. I remember how nervous I was. And I was constantly worried about making grammar/spelling mistakes... :spock:

You're very welcome, and from what I remember of those old posts I can't think of any grammar or spelling mistakes. Though I'm sure I've made my share of them over the years and English is supposed to my my first language lol.

 

We don't worry about any of that though and as far as I can tell just from reading I'd think you were born in Virginia or some other state here, and that's not meant as an insult either lol :wine:

 

Yes, those old photo threads were a whole lot of fun. Most of the pics should still be around here somewhere.

 

I didn't mean to hijack the Sir Patrick Stewart thread but seeing as he's only a knight and I'm a President I think he'd understand lol.

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You do a great job with English.

 

Aww thank you! I had 7 years of practice, I guess! :spock: (I still am nowhere near being as good as a native speaker, though, I still struggle with slang sometimes!)

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

since I'm doing this sort of topic thingy on a lot of other boards, I thought why not doing it here as well, here, the first English-speaking Trek message board I registered at when I became a Trek fan... wow, that was a long time ago...

 

Those of you who remember me probably also remember that I'm a huge fan of Sir Patrick Stewart. I try to know everything about him, which is proving to be a rather challenging task sometimes.

Like Takara said, of course we remember you. You're one of the Founders. :)

 

It has been a while ago that you joined, we're coming up on 7 years since your join date! I'm not sure if I knew that this was the first English speaking board that you had joined though. I'm glad you did.

 

Aww thank you! I remember you as well, of course. Remember the fun we had with all the manipped wedding pics all these years ago? :Hmmm...: Yeah I know, it's been almost 7 years... which matches my "was obsessed with TNG first, then Jean-Luc and then shortly after that, Patrick Stewart" time, actually. :wine: Yes this was the first English-speaking board I joined. I remember how nervous I was. And I was constantly worried about making grammar/spelling mistakes... :)

You're very welcome, and from what I remember of those old posts I can't think of any grammar or spelling mistakes. Though I'm sure I've made my share of them over the years and English is supposed to my my first language lol.

 

We don't worry about any of that though and as far as I can tell just from reading I'd think you were born in Virginia or some other state here, and that's not meant as an insult either lol :P

 

Yes, those old photo threads were a whole lot of fun. Most of the pics should still be around here somewhere.

 

I didn't mean to hijack the Sir Patrick Stewart thread but seeing as he's only a knight and I'm a President I think he'd understand lol.

 

 

Haha you don't want to read my German. My grammar has become somewhat... umm... erratic in recent years - people are horrified sometimes! (At least the spelling is still okay LOL) I know what you mean. It's supposed to be my first language, but really, German grammar and I are no longer friends. I used to be quite good at it when I was still in school. A looong time ago.

 

LMAO I wouldn't mind being from Virginia! Or somewhere else in the States. But, alas, I'm not. I wish lived over there, though - I'd be able to get my hands on some Sir Patrick DVDs much more easily!

 

Oh it's fine, I'm sure Sir Patrick wouldn't mind a little off-topic nostalgia indeed. He's a master when it comes to off-topic nostalgia and ramblings, after all! :laugh: (It's like he told his son, Daniel, during an interview when Daniel ran out of tape much sooner than expected: "Daddy talks too much" - :blush2: )

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Another picture of Sir Patrick's recent visit to Brighton can be found here.

 

And here is another interview (it's NOT new, though, it has been posted only now).

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Sir Patrick was campaigning for Labour again yesterday, this time in Southampton. An article can be found here.

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Gordon Brown declines to boldly go with Sir Patrick Stewart

 

 

Although there were no takers for a play with a "vote Labour" message that Sir Patrick Stewart had wanted to put on in the run-up to the election, the doughty Star Trek actor still offered his services to Gordon Brown.

 

Evidently, however, the Prime Minister chose not to avail himself of the presentational tips that the actor, right, could have given him for the televised debates.

 

"I would have certainly made myself available, if asked," says Sir Patrick, 69, who adds that he has some experience in this regard. "I did in 2000 have a conversation with Al Gore about a certain aspect of the style of presentation.

 

"He was kind enough to say last year that if he had paid more attention to the tips that I was giving him, he might have been president."

 

 

(SOURCE)

 

 

----

 

 

Take a look at pictures of Sir Patrick's recent visit to in Southampton over here.

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I suspect Gordon Brown is making a big mistake not taking full advantage of Patrick's help and advice. We'll see very soon if he should have when election returns come rolling in.

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I suspect Gordon Brown is making a big mistake not taking full advantage of Patrick's help and advice. We'll see very soon if he should have when election returns come rolling in.

 

 

BIG mistake indeed. He clearly could not afford such an attitude, especially not towards an actor who has supported Labour all his life and who walked through quite a few cities last week and this week in order to get people to vote Labour. Brown really messed this one up, and, as a bonus, he now has me being pissed off at him as well. Not that he'll care since I don't live in the UK and can't be a potential voter, but still. lol

 

 

Wow, Patrick Stewart is 69? I don't know why that surprises me but I hadn't realized he was almost 70.

 

Yes he is. He forgets about that fact as well, though, so, you're not alone! LOL (He went WATER-SKIING a little while ago. WATER-SKIING. And he's also trying to learn how to ski, too. What is he THINKING? *facepalm* *worried* lol)

Edited by Mrs.Picard

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Wow, Patrick Stewart is 69? I don't know why that surprises me but I hadn't realized he was almost 70.
Yes he is. He forgets about that fact as well, though, so, you're not alone! LOL (He went WATER-SKIING a little while ago. WATER-SKIING. And he's also trying to learn how to ski, too. What is he THINKING? *facepalm* *worried* lol)
Oh, I wouldn't worry about him. George Bush (the older one) is well into his 80's by now and he still jumps out of planes lol.

 

I was just a little surprised to see that age in print and associated to him.

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