Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry may be a genius, but he was reportedly a pain to work with. Several writers clashed with him due to his rules on how the people of the future should behave and how the Federation should be, leading many to leave the show. It was only after his death in 1991 that the makers were freer to explore different avenues.
One of Roddenberry’s no-nos during the casting of Star Trek: TNG was reportedly the selection of Sir Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard. The showrunner was reportedly envisioning Picard as someone more in line with his image of Captain Kirk, but the British Stewart did not fit into that image.
Gene Roddenberry’s insulting response to Patrick Stewart’s potential casting in TNG is harrowing
Gene Roddenberry is the brains behind Star Trek and the adventures the Enterprise has in galaxies far, far away. However, the former military man was reportedly not easy to work with, and his specific vision and rules for the series were taxing on writers, who had to scour for different conflicts in the TV show.
This specific vision also affected the producers of the spinoff show The Next Generation, as Roddenberry was not happy with the initial casting of the show’s captain. According to producer Rick Berman, Roddenberry had another swashbuckling heroic captain like William Shatner’s Kirk, and the production’s choice, Sir Patrick Stewart, was hardly the same.
Berman said that when Roddenberry was given the choice of Stewart, he made one harrowing remark that will forever be entrenched in Star Trek history. Berman said (via Foundation Interviews),
I think Gene probably pictured someone closer to a young William Shatner, [or] a Horatio Hornblower, Indiana Jones swashbuckling character. Gene did not like Patrick Stewart and did not like the idea of a bald English guy taking over…stepping into the shoes of William Shatner.
Rick Berman mentioned that though Roddenberry acknowledged the acting prowess of Sir Patrick Stewart, he had a different idea of a captain in mind for TNG.
Gene Roddenberry later accepted Patrick Stewart’s look and even stood up for him
Gene Roddenberry’s statement against Patrick Stewart’s casting on TNG could have been extremely hurtful for the actor, who just wanted to work on the stage. Stewart was reportedly found while reading out Shakespeare at UCLA, where he was visiting for a month. He even tried on a wig during auditions for the role, but was ultimately given his natural look back.
Roddenberry reportedly went on to accept his captain’s look, and he even stood up for Stewart when a reporter asked a question. Stewart mentioned in an interview (via BBC),
That came up at the very first press conference. A reporter asked Gene Roddenberry, ‘This doesn’t make any sense. You have a bald actor playing this part. Surely by the 24th century, they will have found a cure for male pattern baldness.’ And Gene Roddenberry said, ‘No, by the 24th century, no one will care.
This was indeed a redemptive statement from Roddenberry after initially having similar apprehensions about Stewart. The actor mentioned that it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for him.
Star Trek: TNG is available to stream on Paramount+.
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