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Posted: 09:51:06 on November 10 2002
By: Steve Krutzler
Dept: People

At a recent press conference in Germany, Patrick Stewart explained why he would have never accepted the captain's role if he would have known that the series would last seven years, the success of the newly released TNG DVD sets, and the worldwide influence of his character. German TREK site Trekzone.de has published a complete transcript in German and provides the following excerpts.

"It is an especially rewarding event to see that even after 15 years the DVD sets are so successful," the actor told German journalists. "This shows that the enthusiasm for the show is still big after such a long time. That should be considered a compliment for [...] Gene Roddenberry, who created the 'Star Trek' universe and had a continuous influence on television and science-fiction-entertainment. I'm very proud to be one of the five Captains."

Stewart says initially, he didn't want the role of 'Captain Picard', fearing the committment of a drama series. "I did reject the offer at first because I didn't have the intension to connect myself to a drama series for such a long time," he said. "As it made the round that I had rejected the offer, they tried to convince me by saying that 'The Next Generation' wouldn't have a chance to be successful at all. They would guarantee us one year but after that it would be very unlikely that the series would be continued. Maybe a second year because something like the revival of such a famous TV show like 'Star Trek' hadn't happened before. So I was told I could sign the contract with a good conscience because there just wasn't an opportunity that the show would run seven years. So much for good advice!"

But he says refusing the role would've been the mistake of a lifetime and he's grateful the show's prospects for success weren't clearly known at the time. "If I had known that I would stand on the bridge of the Enterprise for seven years, I would have indeed never accepted the role. I'm glad now, that I didn't know because it would have been the wrong decision to reject the role. It turned out that it changed my career and also my life."

The actor says an epiphany on his life and career arrived three years ago while filming the first X-MEN film. "Approximately three years ago, in the middle of the night while we did some outside shots for the 'X-Men' movie, I asked myself what made me so happy, when I sat in my trailer freezing and being sure that I wasn't needed for the third night in a row," he recalled. "I thought about that and two things came to my mind: First, that the woman I was living with made me happy and it was time to marry her [Wendy Neuss, a TNG producer] and second that playing theatre made me happy when I was on stage.

"I'm 61 years old now and in an age where most actors [have] retired or at least are thinking about retiring I'm busier than ever before. 'Jean-Luc Picard' played a really important role in my life and the meaningfulness of that character for me can't be denied. [or] his meaningfulness to many people around the world."

Stewart says Picard stood for many values he cherishes. "I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to say things through the Captain that are important for me and our society," he said. "Especially during the last years of the show my personal preferences, like my love for Shakespeare or the support of democratic organizations of the world, have been expressed through 'Jean-Luc Picard', and I'm very thankful for that."

Finally, the titan British actor says there's one piece of "Treknology" he wishes he could have for his own use: "Besides the transporter, that would be the replicator, and like I've heard, [the] realization of such a device isn't that far in the future. As a possessed tea drinker, especially in the morning, it would be nice for me just to stay in bed and say 'Tea, Earl Grey, hot...'"

In the full German transcript, Stewart also talks about meeting Scott Bakula while filming STAR TREK NEMESIS. The complete German transcript can be read here.

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