AssetID: 53098402
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Ian McKellen told Patrick Stewart not to accept Star Trek role
Caption: Ian McKellen told Patrick Stewart not to accept Star Trek role. Patrick Stewart has shared that Ian McKellen advised him to turn down the lead role in Star Trek: The Next Generation in favour of theatre work. Stewart, 83, made the revelation about his longtime friend and X-Men colleague in his new memoir, Making It So, reported Variety. ”When I told him I was going to sign the contract, he almost bodily prevented me from doing so," the Logan actor wrote. ”'No!' he said. 'No, you must not do that. You must not. You have too much important theater work to do. You can't throw that away to do TV. You can't. No!’”. Stewart continued, "There are few people, particularly with regard to acting, whose counsel I trust more than Ian's. But this time I had to tell him that I felt theater would return to my life whenever I was ready for it, whereas an offer of the lead role in an American TV series might never come again.” The actor explained that McKellen "shook his head sadly" when he informed him he was accepting the role, however McKellen still "wished me good luck and gave me a big hug.” Stewart portrayed the character of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 - 1994 across seven seasons and 178 episodes. It would go on to become one of his most iconic roles. ”In the years since, we have become dear pals and 'X-Men' colleagues, and Ian has acknowledged that he was wrong and I was right. More than once, in fact - primarily because I like making him say those words.” THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Ian McKellen,Told,Patrick Stewart,Accept,Star Trek,Role,Memoir,Book,Friends,Acting,Theatre,American,TV Show,Television,Picard,Jean-Luc Picard,Captain,Star Trek: The Next Generation,Theater,Career
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