Today, We Lost Our Captain
Legendary actor Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at 86 in Los Angeles.
In this deeply sad moment for his family and his millions of fans we are all feeling crushed. But, I am choosing to honor the man today -- by reflecting on some of the special performances he so graciously gave us -- ones that have stayed with me for years.
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An Incredible Career
For an actor with decades of work and 161 acting credits, one simply cannot distill this man’s contributions to the world, our culture, and entertainment down to a handful of highlights. I’m not trying to do that now, but these examples below are the ones that will stay with me forever.
Sir Patrick in Excalibur
My first memory of Sir Patrick was from the movie Excalibur. The gorgeous English epic from 1981, Stewart plays Leondegrance. In this role, he came across to me as a bombastic presence and wore that suit of armor like he was born in it.
However, I still refuse to believe he couldn’t pull the sword out of the stone.
This shit was rigged.
Sir Patrick Stewart in Excalibur
Sir Patrick in Dune
Another early memory of him I have was when he played Gurney Halleck in David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune. Sir Patrick brought with him a distinguished air of seriousness to the role and played his military character well - fearlessly leading the Atreides army and never giving up even when facing disaster. My only complaint is wanting to see more of him.
What did Sir Patrick feel about Dune?
Sir Patrick Stewart On Dune & Sting
Star Trek: The Next Generation
However, where I became a super fan of Sir Patrick was when I saw him star in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the USS Enterprise. One hot summer in CA, the series was running at like 12-1am on TBS or something and I ended up watching them all.
Sir Patrick Stewart headlined Star Trek: The Next Generation as Captain Jean-Luc Picard for the entire run from 1987 to 1994. The show mixed up the pacing and focus frequently bringing fresh ideas to the forefront.
- One week they would have an aggressive war-like episode.
- Next, a spy themed show.
- What about a classic literature based story line?
- Or how about an episode on morals and ethical challenges like "Can a robot have rights?"
"Captain Picark" - Halloween 2014
There were even fun episodes like the time the Enterprise was hijacked while being cleaned - with Sir Patrick being the lone crew member on board. Think Die Hard in Star Trek!
For me, these major context changes kept the show fresh-feeling and exciting every season.
Sir Patrick Stewart on Star Trek
Star Trek Trivia: To Wig or Not To Wig
Sir Patrick also once spoke to how the executives at Paramount wanted to see him with a wig to cover his bald head while auditioning. So they flew his wig from London for the screen test.
This is total bullshit - bald is beautiful!
Sir Patrick Stewart on a Wig for Star Trek: TNG
Best Episode: Chain of Command, Part II
Star Trek: TNG was by all accounts incredibly successful and had enormous story depth. But in my opinion one episode specifically will forever remain the most legendary, like Sir Patrick Stewart himself.
“Chain of Command, Part II” (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 6, Episode 11), which originally aired on December 21, 1992 – in my opinion is the most memorable and intense episode you’ll ever see.
The peak comes from the second half of this two-part episode. In it, Captain Picard is captured by the Cardassians and tortured by Gul Madred. Madred repeatedly shows Picard four bright lights and demands that he say there are five, punishing him with pain when he refuses.
Eventually Picard is released from capture, and on his way out, he defiantly insists:
“There are four lights!”
Later admits to Troi (his friend and ship counsellor) that he was on the verge of breaking and had begun to believe he saw five.
Quite Possibly the Best Star Trek: TNG Episode
George Orwell Call Back
You may have caught the significance of this scene if you've ever read Orwell. What makes the episode special is that this four-lights sequence is a clear homage to the “2 + 2 = 5” torture scene in George Orwell’s 1984 - done in the Star Trek universe.
The scene, the writing, the acting - it all hits like a freight train.
Best Sir Patrick Star Trek Movie Moment:
Sir Patrick was also a major star in the Star Trek movies as well. There are many good ones, but my favorite was Star Trek: First Contact.
I watched First Contact while I was recovering from Wisdom Teeth surgery and loved every minute of it. This installment was a hyper-serious and deadly Star Trek TNG entry into the series - fully showcasing the Borg, arguably the worst enemy the Federation (the good guys) have ever faced. Released in 1996, Star Trek: First Contact follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-E as they travel back in time to the mid-21st century to stop the cybernetic Borg from changing history and preventing Earth's first contact with alien life.
There are many great parts of this movie, but I want to highlight a particular series of scenes where Sir Patrick really shines. After so many years of pressure on his character, it is perfectly encapsulated in the dialog in this scene.
Years before the events of First Contact, Picard had been abducted and transformed by the Borg into a cyborg - essentially one of them. When this happened, all of his accumulated knowledge and abilities became theirs - and were in turn used directly against his friends and fellow members of The Federation. Picard likely was the unwilling reason for millions of Federation deaths. Picard was a prisoner in his own mind and body, and once freed, his vitriol and hatred of the Borg was beyond measure.
But as Captain, he never would let that show. Couldn’t let that show. It would be unbecoming of his position.
Picard Loses Control
Here is what I consider the most emotionally charged & shocking series of scenes from the Star Trek: TNG -- delivered by the amazing cast: Dorn, McFadden, Woodard, Horton & Stewart💜. A moment that was built up over years, and one we all knew was coming.
This was the moment Picard finally lost control.
Sir Patrick Stewart: First Contact's Epic Moment
Picard Snaps Out Of It
And as you just saw, there is a moment when Picard realizes just what he's done. How he'd gone too far. But what brought him back to clarity of mission? Priority of his people over revenge?
A classical novel reference, of course -- Captain Ahab and Moby Dick. Picard was a very well read person and would of course, know the passage by heart.
This is so very Star Trek: The Next Generation, which cleverly leveraged this kind of modern and classical synthesis over the years in it's writing. In my opinion, it was the perfect way for this all to play out and still to this day leaves me impressed beyond words.
Sir Patrick in Video Games: Elder Scrolls Oblivion
As it turns out, I'm not only a Star Trek nerd, but I'm also a PC gamer nerd!
And yes - Sir Patrick also made an appearance there as well. And not just in a Star Trek Game. Imagine my surprise when I fired up the video game Elder Scrolls: Oblivion to hear Sir Patrick as Emperor Uriel Septim VII in the 2006 game.
Sir Sir Patrick Stewart in Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Sir Patrick as Charles Xavier
Another series that brought Sir Patrick even greater mainstream attention was when he put on the helm of the X-Men franchise, and acted as comic book fan favorite Charles Xavier. As a comic book collector and massive X-Men fan, I consider Sir Patrick as the perfect casting for Professor X. He did a wonderful job bringing him to the big screen and once again, my only complaint was not seeing Charles kicking more ass.
Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier
Smaller Obscure File: Safe House
But don’t think Sir Patrick only did work on large big budget movies and shows. One of Sir Patrick’s smaller but entertaining movies has to be the 1998 thriller Safe House. He plays a mixed up character named Mace Sowell - who’s slowly losing his mind. Or is he? Is he really a spy?
Mace talks a big game and even holds fake break-ins to his own house that he can foil, but is he nuts or is he a former, retired agent for the government? If you haven’t seen this yet, you need to check it out.
Sir Patrick Stewart in Safe House
Don’t Forget His Other Works
Theater: And while his on-screen roles defined a generation of entertainment for me and others, Sir Patrick’s roots were deeply embedded in the theater. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company since the 1960s, delivering memorable performances in Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear, which earned him multiple Laurence Olivier Awards.
Spoken Word: His talents extended beyond on-screen acting - in 1996, he even won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children! Did you know that?
Knighted: Recognizing his massive contributions to the performing arts, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001 and was knighted in 2010.
Off-screen: He was also an active advocate for social issues, including domestic violence and PTSD awareness.
The Wrap Up: A Unifying Presence
With so many wonderful career accomplishments, it’s easy to focus on Sir Patrick's work and acting capability. But I would draw your attention to something even more amazing and important than that.
As you see the news of his passing undoubtedly filling up your threads and feeds, one thing you’ll notice in the outpouring of tributes to him is that people from all walks of life loved this man.
Even with his massive platform and personal advocacy, he never used his status in a way that felt alienating or divisive. He led with empathy, united his audience, and let his phenomenal work speak for itself. Having followed his career for decades, I always appreciated how he brought people together rather than driving them apart.
SirPatrick
Sir Patrick Was The Man We All Imagined Him To Be
Unity.
This is perhaps his biggest accomplishment in my mind. The mark of a true legend.
RIP Sir Patrick Stewart
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