The third season of Star Trek: Picard sees a reunion of stars from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).
How was it to share the screen again with so many of your former co-stars?
It was wonderful. We are more than co-stars. They are all so easy to work with because of the experiences we shared and the friendships we made over so many years. But this season is far more than just a reunion. Each of the crew has been living their own lives somewhere in the universe for the past 30 years, and now they are back as very different people. There is emotion, shock and surprise.
Considering this is the final season, how did it feel to reach the end?
I have to say, I didn’t really think about it until the very end of the last scene. Once that was done, then it got emotional. It always is when you come to the end of something that means so much to so many.
Do you still remember your first ever scene in Star Trek?
I actually do, which is remarkable, not just because of my age (laughs), but because I really didn’t have much to do. I didn’t even have one line. I just had to walk down a corridor on the Enterprise and two people came out of a door––one of them was Jonathan Frakes (who plays William Riker). That was our first scene together.
Did you ever imagine that more than 35 years later, you would still be playing Picard?
Of course not. In fact, I almost didn’t take the job with The Next Generation. I was very apprehensive because it was a six-year contract working in Los Angeles, which was a long time and I wanted to do other things. So, I asked a friend for advice. They said, ‘Patrick, do it. Take the money. Anyway, you won’t make it to six years. You’ll be lucky to do one!’ All these years later, here I still am.
What is the process you go through to get back into character for Picard?
With this character, there really is no process. He’s part of me. I think he always will be. During the three seasons, I no longer knew where Jean-Luc ended and Patrick Stewart began. I really felt like I was him and in many ways I still do.
Did you discover anything new about Picard this season?
Definitely. Picard’s aim was always to discover who he was as a man and that forms a big part of this season.
Where does Jean Lu Picard rank compared to all the amazing characters you have played on stage and screen over the years?
I’m always reluctant to answer that question. I think all actors often are because we feel that the most important role is the one we are doing right now. That’s very much how I see it.
How do you go about choosing your projects at this stage of your career?
It has always been about entertainment, first and foremost. Then it’s content and the subject.
What is your reaction to all the attention you get from Trekkies?
I love it and am grateful for it. Star Trek fans are very special and I am always thrilled to meet them and hear how the show has influenced them. I’ve met all kinds of incredible engineers and scientists who say Star Trek inspired them and that is just incredible. It shows the power of telling stories in this universe, breaking boundaries, and reflecting on life as it might possibly be. It shows how people working together can make a difference. That is what Star Trek is all about and I am very proud to have played a small part in it.
Finally, is there any chance at all that you might return as Picard one more time for another Star Trek movie?
There are no plans right now, but I would love to. I think that would be an interesting idea.
––Asia Features