Patrick Stewart going back to Hollywood

Returning to a film career

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/si...s-theatre-hiatus-to-pursue-film-roles_1288795

 

Hollywood still is the entertainment capital of the world.

Stewart isn't forgetting about his roles in the TNG and X-Men movies, but I think he wants to do more and be known for more than just playing Captain Picard and Professor X to moviegoers.

 

I think most actors get stereotyped into roles though. Shatner still is seen primarily as Captain Kirk. Outside of the franchise, most see Johnny Depp as Captain Sparrow, even though he's done a host of other work. I think it goes with the territory to an extent.

That said, seeing Sir Patrick on the screen again would be good. He's probably the best UK actor of his generation (along with maybe Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Ian McKellen, Jeremy Irons, etc.)

 

I'm actually quite surprised that he hasn't been in many more movies. To most people that are not into Trek, Stewart is mainly known for being Professor X. I'm certain that he would do well in something a bit more, um... challenging.

 

I believe it was more a choice for him then never getting any roles. He has always been a theater man, only having done a few films outside of Trek and XMen. And as much as he chose to do theater so long, he choses to try and start a movie carreer now.

 

Oh, well our (UK theatre) loss is Hollywood's gain. But I can't complain, I've had more than my fair share of seeing him in theatre over the last few years.

 

It's gonna be tough to break the Captain Picard stereotype because he did such a damn good job.

He could play the male lead in a romantic comedy. And producers out there, if you're looking for a female lead to play against him....pick me! pick me!

 

Just thinking...Stewart started playing Picard at 46..so he is now 71!

 

If I was stereotyped in a highly successful role that could keep bringing me cash indefinitely, I would fuckin' embrace that shite!! Kind of like what the Shat is doing.

On the other hand, if your show wasn't successful, (or it was successful but your character wasn't) then I could understand wanting to get the heck away from it.

 

Saw him and Ian Mckellin in Waiting for Godot a couple of years back - phenomenal!

 

It seems to me that Stewart has embraced that role for 20 years, and will continue to do so. But who's paying him to play Picard anymore? In almost any profession, if you're doing the same thing for 20 years no matter how much you love it, you'll want a change of scenery eventually. That doesn't mean you won't return to it eventually, but variety is nice. Sure, Shatner continues to embrace Kirk, but Denny Crane is almost the complete opposite of Kirk, and that role won Shatner several awards as Crane (including a Golden Globe and two Emmys, something he never accomplished as Kirk).

I wouldn't be surprised as well if Stewart has enough that he can retire whenever he wants to, but there's something to be said about the challenges of new roles and career heights as well.

 

Speaking of films, I am STILL wondering what is the status - if indeed it ever existed - of Stewart's version of The Merchant of Venice (actually Merchant of VEGAS in this version) which he is supposedly working on with McKellen. Anybody know?

 

Wow, that must've been magnificent. I sure wish I'd had a chance to see it!

 

I think Patrick Stewart is able to do more than trek or xmen. I remember a very different role he did in a film I believe was "Jeffrey". If I remember right he played a gay character in that. Also remember Conspiracy Theory and I think Safe House.

 

Good grief, as if anyone with a fraction of a clue would doubt that. The man was a highly acclaimed, 20-year veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company when he started playing Picard. He was very famous and admired in the UK already, even though he was known in the US mainly from films like Excalibur, Dune, and Lifeforce -- and to PBS viewers as Sejanus in I, Claudius and King Claudius in the 1980 BBC production of Hamlet. During his years as Picard, he became well-known for his one-man stage show of A Christmas Carol. He got Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for TV movies of The Lion in Winter and Moby Dick. And since returning to the UK, he's appeared in many highly acclaimed theatrical roles, including highly acclaimed productions of Macbeth and Hamlet (in which he reprised the role of Claudius but played it about a zillion times better than he did in 1980). Picard and Xavier are a very small fraction of Sir Patrick's achievements as an actor.

 

Sir Patrick will do very well in future films, I just hope he gets some very nice offers.

 

Man I wish I could get those types of performances on video!

 

He was funny on Graham Norton with Liam Neeson.

Totally off topic...saw a critic ask when Liam became an action hero...guess he never saw Dark Man.

 

I'm sorry but Patrick Stewart will ALWAYS be the legendary Picard, no matter what non-Trek movies or shows he will be working on.

 

And thankfully, he is quite okay with that. According to The Captains documentary from last year.