Patrick Stewart does not need to put himself through this… but he does. He must *really* care about the work that he is doing on season 3 of Picard, he must be doing it out of love and dedication.And casting such an "old" actor was both a blessing and a curse - they did their best to accomodate him but I do know that the whole thing demanded every last ounce of his strength. LeVar Burton even made a remark that, by the end of season 3's shooting, the entire rest of the TNG cast had to help Sir Patrick in various ways because he was struggling so much with everything (I absolutely cannot blame him, I'd crumble after two DAYS of shooting and he endured shooting two whole SEASONS back to back). Casting a much older actor in a leading role also comes with certain restrictions - they also had to accomodate the shooting schedule of the show because Sir Patrick gets too tired in the afternoons. So, they started extremely early in the mornings. Etc etc. You have to be willing to go to these extra lengths, and sadly, a lot of studios are not, and I'm not sure if casting Sir Patrick will pave the way for more shows like this, or if it even paved the way for casting an older actress for SNW - she's 70 and not the leading role, I therefore don't see any of the "accomodation issues" popping up that they had with Sir Patrick.
But, of course, if it turns out that Sir Patrick paved the way for this decision I'm all for it (I'm just not sure if these two cases can be compared directly because it's a different setting and a different premise and a different kind of role). I absolutely loathe Hollywood's obsession with youth.
Sir Patrick Stewart has to be the oldest actor ever cast in a leading role in a Star Trek series.
The Berman-era days of actors having to be young and smokin' hot are over. Seventy-year-old Carol Kane has just been cast as Chief Engineer Pelia in S2 of Strange New Worlds:
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Would this have been possible had not Sir Patrick broken down the door?
Auberjenois was in his fifties when he played Odo.
The cast of the TOS-based movies were pushing Social Security eligibility almost from the time of the revival.
He also wore a ton of latex ... so it really didn't matter what he looked like underneath.
Sir Patrick Stewart has to be the oldest actor ever cast in a leading role in a Star Trek series.
The Berman-era days of actors having to be young and smokin' hot are over. Seventy-year-old Carol Kane has just been cast as Chief Engineer Pelia in S2 of Strange New Worlds:
![]()
Would this have been possible had not Sir Patrick broken down the door?
And casting such an "old" actor was both a blessing and a curse - they did their best to accomodate him but I do know that the whole thing demanded every last ounce of his strength. LeVar Burton even made a remark that, by the end of season 3's shooting, the entire rest of the TNG cast had to help Sir Patrick in various ways because he was struggling so much with everything (I absolutely cannot blame him, I'd crumble after two DAYS of shooting and he endured shooting two whole SEASONS back to back). Casting a much older actor in a leading role also comes with certain restrictions - they also had to accomodate the shooting schedule of the show because Sir Patrick gets too tired in the afternoons. So, they started extremely early in the mornings. Etc etc.
Wow, does Burton have any discretion at all? Did Stewart authorise him to make public such personal information? If not and I were Stewart, LB would definitely be crossed off my Christmas card list this year ...
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