Stewart says he was afraid of getting fired.

[JarodRussell]

http://trekmovie.com/2011/07/28/patrick-stewart-thought-he-was-going-to-be-fired-from-tng-pilot/

I find that interesting. Obviously he couldn't know how to "wear his spacesuit", but none of the other actors did. But "he didn't know how to walk." Was TNG his first TV appearance, coming from the stage, which is why he was insecure about his performance?



And the other thing is the comments about how he is a class act. I love it every time I read it on Trekmovie. Everytime an actor praises Trek in an article, you get the comments "He/she is such a class act." And everytime someone says something negative, he/she is "A bitter, old man/woman."

 

[Smellincoffee]

Well, yeah. He did yell at that little kid who wandered in on set, didn't he? They had to give the kid a bit part just to make up for it.

 

[AJBryant]

??????

 

[Finn]

The Crusher Boy

 

[inflatabledalek]

I find that interesting. Obviously he couldn't know how to "wear his spacesuit", but none of the other actors did. But "he didn't know how to walk." Was TNG his first TV appearance, coming from the stage, which is why he was insecure about his performance?

He'd done some British telly (I Claudius probably being the most notable thing he did) but TNG was likely his first American TV, and might even have been the first time he shot on film for television as opposed to videotape.

Actors tend to be hugely insecure anyway (unsurprising considering it's basically freelance work with no long term employment guarantees) and he was somewhat unconventional casting for an action show lead, I suspect that led into his fears rather than any real likelihood he would be let go.

 

[Python Trek]

Before TNG, I had seen him in "I, Cluadius", "Excalibur", "Lifeforce", and "Dune"....I think that's all. I was very much looking forward to his being "The New Captain (TM)", but I was a bit disappointed, quite frankly. In the pilot, he surrenders, gets all weepy at the Q trial, tells Riker "make me look good"....he came off like a bit of a douche. But he more than redeemed himself as the years went on, starting with "The Measure of a Man". Nowadays, I think of Picard quite fondly....I just wish they had not replaced him with the old, whiny Picard in "Generations" and with John McClaine, starting with the next film.

 

[Pavonis]

IIRC, Picard wasn't intended to be the lead hero character; Riker was intended to be the primary hero character. It didn't work out that way, but I believe the original intention for the characters was the relationship between Col. O'Neill and Gen. Hammond on Stargate. That is to say, they're both leaders, but O'Neill/Riker is the lead hero, while Hammond/Picard was the beloved mentor of the hero.

 

[Finn]

^ Then Picard shoulda have been an Admiral and Riker a cocky Captain... Tasha would be the science officer. Worf would be Teal... I mean the alien. Data would be Walter.

 

[Tomalak]

He'd done some British telly (I Claudius probably being the most notable thing he did) but TNG was likely his first American TV, and might even have been the first time he shot on film for television as opposed to videotape.

He memorably appeared as Karla in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' in 1979, and the sequel 'Smiley's People' a few years later. Both were film productions.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

^ Then Picard shoulda have been an Admiral and Riker a cocky Captain... Tasha would be the science officer. Worf would be Teal... I mean the alien. Data would be Walter.

Who would be Siler?

 

[Finn]

^ Then Picard shoulda have been an Admiral and Riker a cocky Captain... Tasha would be the science officer. Worf would be Teal... I mean the alien. Data would be Walter.

Who would be Siler?

Thanks. I was trying to remember his name.

Geordi

 

[Anji]

Yeah, but how could Stewart not become the lead in the series??? His talent stands out like a sore thumb. The guy has got IT. No questions there.

 

[Mr Silver]

I don't think I've heard this before. I do remember reading somewhere that Patrick Stewart cracked a racist joke without realising that Michael Dorn and Levar Burton might take offence to it and he worried that he had ruined his relationship with both actors.

 

[Mr_Homn]

I don't think I've heard this before. I do remember reading somewhere that Patrick Stewart cracked a racist joke without realising that Michael Dorn and Levar Burton might take offence to it and he worried that he had ruined his relationship with both actors.

I've heard that story a lot, but I doubt it was anything that bad, really.

It was the OVERLY politically correct late 1980s america, and stewart was from the u.k. where they weren't as obsessed with everything being PC.

I have a hard time imagining that stewart would say anything overtly racist to him. The man is a true professional.

 

[Pseudo]

I don't think I've heard this before. I do remember reading somewhere that Patrick Stewart cracked a racist joke without realising that Michael Dorn and Levar Burton might take offence to it and he worried that he had ruined his relationship with both actors.

I've heard that story a lot, but I doubt it was anything that bad, really.

It was the OVERLY politically correct late 1980s america, and stewart was from the u.k. where they weren't as obsessed with everything being PC.

I have a hard time imagining that stewart would say anything overtly racist to him. The man is a true professional.

And he is sitting he can see your belly.

 

[Mr_Homn]

I don't think I've heard this before. I do remember reading somewhere that Patrick Stewart cracked a racist joke without realising that Michael Dorn and Levar Burton might take offence to it and he worried that he had ruined his relationship with both actors.

I've heard that story a lot, but I doubt it was anything that bad, really.

It was the OVERLY politically correct late 1980s america, and stewart was from the u.k. where they weren't as obsessed with everything being PC.

I have a hard time imagining that stewart would say anything overtly racist to him. The man is a true professional.

And he is sitting he can see your belly.

Haha, James Corden is a total wanker, so that was justified.

 

[MikeS]

Didn't he say he was afraid that TNG would not be a hit and they would all be out of a job? That isn't the same as being afraid of getting fired.

 

[Sean Aaron]

I don't think I've heard this before. I do remember reading somewhere that Patrick Stewart cracked a racist joke without realising that Michael Dorn and Levar Burton might take offence to it and he worried that he had ruined his relationship with both actors.

That's a story I believe comes from one of the TNG DVD extras and is recounted by both Stewart and Burton. I'd be curious to know what the joke was. The way it was told, Stewart cracked the joke and Burton/Dorn called him on it and he apologised.

 

[Amaris]

I think we've all done it. I think we've all cracked a joke and got a surprisingly shocked/annoyed response and have apologized for it. Sometimes what seems funny in our head isn't once it's spoken aloud.

 

[Mr_Homn]

Unfortunately none of us will know the real story unless one of them comes forward and repeats what was said.
I bet it was pretty funny. Some people, especially back in the 1980s, are just over sensitive about race jokes. I also remember hearing that the cast as a whole didn't really like Stewart to begin with because he was so serious all the time. He was probably trying to fit in more by making a joke and it didn't go over well because nobody liked him at the time. Glad that all changed.