Sir Patrick Stewart has been the only actor to play Captain Jean-Luc Picard since the character’s debut in 1987’s Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played the role for seven seasons and then returned with the cast for the four original movies. He also reprised his role in the spinoff show Star Trek: Picard.
After being part of the franchise for over three and a half decades, Stewart chose one episode to be his favorite and for a particular reason. The X-Men star reportedly chose the season 5 episode The Inner Light as his favorite due to the incredible storyline and because he got to work with his son Daniel Stewart in the show.
Patrick Stewart Picks His Favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode
Sir Patrick Stewart was synonymous with Captain Picard until he played the role of Professor X in the X-Men films. Though he has been an icon in two franchises, his breakout role as the calm, composed, and diplomatic Starfleet captain is more special than his other performances, purely because he has played him for so long.
He has been Picard in hundreds of episodes and still feels that his character should have a better end. The actor reportedly wrote in his memoir Making it So and has spoken about it on multiple occasions. He reportedly wanted Picard to settle down in life and be married and had even devised an ending that eventually was not filmed for Star Trek: Picard (via Time).
When asked which was his favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stewart chose the season 5 episode The Inner Light. The episode sees Picard be rendered unconscious by an alien probe, and he gets transported to an altered state of being where he is a family man and has lived a full life. Stewart told Wired why he chose that episode,
Because I become someone other than Jean-Luc Picard over decades of living a different life, and therefore become a different person, a domestic person, not a starship captain. And there is another, personal reason. My son Daniel played my son in ‘The Inner Light.’ That was an extraordinary experience.
The episode is often considered to be one of the best in the series. The storyline of Picard living out a dream life has been influential in his character development. Stewart also pointed out the episode The Best of Both Worlds and his assimilation into the Borg as a defining moment for the character.
Patrick Stewart Is Aware That His Role Might Be Recast
Patrick Stewart has played the role of Captain Picard for more than 35 years now and is still up to reprise his role in a film. However, the Star Trek franchise has made it clear that like other Hollywood franchises, every role is due for a recast or a reboot. They did it with Kirk, Spock, and Pike, and they can do it for others.
When asked if he was aware of the possibility, Stewart replied in the affirmative and even hoped that his son Daniel Stewart, who is also an actor, be picked for the role. He said,
It will happen, I’m sure. I mean, I already have a son. And who knows what’s going to happen to him? He could become the next Jean-Luc, and he’s a wonderful actor. But Star Trek: Picard, especially season three, left us in a very unresolved place. I had an idea about how to play the last scene that would have kind of resolved it, but it didn’t work out.
The actor reportedly is still trying to get the ending Picard deserves before he moves on from the character.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.
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