Patrick Stewart admits he was a "strict" bastard during the filming of Star Trek

Actor Patrick Stewart reveals that he was not always the nicest colleague during his time filming Star Trek: The Next Generation. MeinMMO reveals what lies behind it.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) is one of the most well-known sci-fi series and aired nearly 30 years ago. TNG is a continuation of the original Star Trek series from the 1960s and became a huge success. The series helped launch actors into fame, including Patrick Stewart, who took on the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the commander of the starship USS Enterprise.

However, Patrick Stewart was not always a sweetheart to his colleagues during filming, as he now admits in his autobiography Making It So: A Memoir.

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Patrick Stewart could be a strict bastard

What exactly does the actor admit? In an exclusive excerpt from his new autobiography Making It So: A Memoir, the British actor provides insight into the turbulent beginnings of the series and reveals why he stormed off the set during the first season of TNG.

The true challenge for Stewart was to maintain the seriousness of the role while his co-stars like Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar), and Brent Spiner (Mr. Data) were goofing around and improvising on set.

For serious actor Stewart, this was a thorn in his side. He admitted in an exclusive excerpt published by The Hollywood Reporter: I could be a severe bastard. His experiences at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre had shaped him, and he was determined to approach the series seriously.

He also writes:

My experiences at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre were intense and serious […] At the TNG set, I became angry about my colleagues’ behavior, and then I called the meeting in which I lectured the cast for being silly and responded to Denise Crosby’s comment We need to have fun too, Patrick with the words: We are not here, Denise, to have fun.
Patrick Stewart via Hollywood Reporter

What was the reaction of his co-stars? A hearty laugh, which delighted Stewart nothing but displeased him. He stormed angrily off the set into his trailer and slammed the door. He admits: I did not handle it well. Fortunately, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner came to him to defuse the situation and talk with him.

He recounts that Spiner and Frakes made it clear to him how uncomfortable it was and that it would not be a good example of effective leadership to lecture and scold the cast, even if there was too much goofing off.

He writes about this:

I had failed to properly gauge the dynamics on set and tried to impose behaviors of the Royal Shakespeare Company onto people who were familiar with the workings of episodic television productions – after all, that is exactly what we were filming.
Patrick Stewart via Hollywood Reporter

Stewart writes that the story is humorous in hindsight, but at that moment, he was far from amused. He had been nervous at the beginning about taking on the role of the Star Trek captain. The series was viewed skeptically by industry insiders, and the pressure to meet expectations was high.