Picard's
New Generation
Picard's
New Generation
(Article reproduced with kind permission of The LIST - the Glasgow and Edinburgh Events Guide Magazine.)
Making history, British born RSC actor Patrick Stewart holds Star Trek's future in his hands. He speaks to Hilary Oliver.
The historic significance of Star Trek: Generations is obvious. How did
you feel about the changing of the guard?
I'd been aware of it for a
couple of years because from the moment our elevation to film status was being
discussed, I'd argued - and I think I was a lone voice that it must be a
transitional movie. That it should include as many members of the original cast
as possible. I was thrilled this script was approved. I'm reluctant to
over-sensationalise it because after all, it's only a movie, but in terms of
popular culture in North America and elsewhere, it represents something quite
unique. There is something worth noting about the passing of the baton from one
hand to the other. In a sense Bill (Shatner) validates me, that is, Captain
Picard, but also The Next Generation.
Kirk meets his end in this movie. For you, is there any way he could
return?
In my mind there is. I found the experience of working with
Bill delightful and I feel a little frustration now that we don't have the
opportunity to develop what was just beginning in that movie and what might have
proved to be a nice buddy relationship. But of course, no one ever dies in Star
Trek.
How do you feel the two captains differ?
Bill answers this in a
really charming way. He says when in a difficult situation, Kirk would say:
'I'm going to count to three and then I'll fire. One, two, three - bang.
Picard would say: 'I'm going to count to three: one, one and a half . . . now I
really mean this.' My counter to that is Picard would never have got himself
into a situation where one, two, three was a consideration in the first place.
The captains are of a very different nature, but what has been delightful in
getting to know Bill is finding out just how many things we have in common.
What were they?
A sense of humour. We have both had cause to
look carefully at our lives, our relationship with the world and we found we had
many thoughts about these to share. We had been through similar experiences. I
love riding, but he is a horseman, as you can see in the movie. He did
something very charming. There was stuff floating around about supposed
hostility between us on set: actors refusing to leave their trailers and all
that garbage. If it worked at all, it was only because I was having difficulty
with my horse and Bill very courteously said to me: 'Why don't you let me ride
him? I'll just take him up the track and see what sort of horse he is.' So off
he went for ten minutes and when he came back, he gave me all the information
the horse wrangler hadn't been able to. I got back on the horse and he was
damned right. I can think of a number of people I have worked with who would
not have been that generous.
You are better known for your classical roles. Do you think Star Trek
has reached classic status?
It always was, without there being a
conscious attempt to make it resonate in an epic way. In the early years of the
series, it was perpetually suggested to me that I might be slumming or selling
out by coming to Hollywood to do this television series - that in some way, I
was betraying my Royal Shakespeare Company past. That was a load of bullshit: I
was an actor looking for work, interesting work, and consider myself fortunate
to have landed this job. You know, all the time I spent sitting around on the
thrones of England as various Shakespearean kings was nothing but a preparation
for sitting in the captain's chair on the Enterprise. There is something larger
than life about the series - Star Trek's dialogue isn't like ordinary
dialogue. It doesn't sound like Hill Street Blues or thirtysomething.
You can turn on the television and without looking at the picture, you'll
always know you're listening to Star Trek.
Could Star Trek work on a purely science fictional level, without the
morality content?
No. It would immediately become 2001, Alien
or Bladerunner, all of which are fabulous pieces of work, but Star
Trek always had something extra. There was always this element of the
parable sewn into every episode. The underlying themes and myths were often
about 20th century society or larger philosophical or poetic themes. If you
diluted that from Star Trek, you'd be left with a very ordinary series.
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