Sir Patrick Stewart has been the talk of the town ever since he launched his memoir titled Making It So: A Memoir. Known for portraying the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the iconic Star Trek franchise for several decades, the veteran actor had a lot to talk about the franchise.
With the inception of the Star Wars franchise, Star Trek & Star Wars fans have been at an eternal war about which franchise is better. Much like MCU and DC fans, the two franchises have been clashing and colliding but there is one simple aspect by which the Star Trek franchise has the edge.
Star Trek Felt Like A Spiritual Experience For Patrick Stewart
Star Wars and Star Trek franchises are great in their own separate ways. The two franchises, however, share some similarities and philosophies that the world loved seeing on the big and small screens.
The Star Wars franchise imparted philosophical wisdom but the whole ordeal was done very vaguely. From ideas of trusting yourself to the difference between good and bad, the Star Wars franchise tried but the Star Trek franchise succeeded.
In an interview with NPR, Patrick Stewart had a lot to say about the philosophical approach that the Star Trek franchise maintained throughout its runtime. Having some form or the other regarding advice for life, the franchise really helped people with their lives and Patrick Stewart is damn proud of that fact.
I was proud of it and what we did. And I talked to Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton. We talked about this kind of thing often. And it’s a glorious feeling because we were just having a good time. We loved our jobs.
He further continued,
In a sense, we were ministers. And I have heard now so many times from individuals who have been honest enough and brave enough to tell me aspects of their life, of their health, of their mental health. And how it was all saved and improved by watching every week.
However, what exactly was that philosophical wisdom that the Star Trek franchise gave to its fans every week? Well, according to Sir Patrick Stewart, the whole ordeal felt like a spiritual experience for fans.
As the conversation continued, the X-Men actor had nothing but praise and a feeling of pride for starring in the Star Trek franchise. He revealed that he has a deep attachment with his character of Jean-Luc Picard and for a very specific reason too!
Patrick Stewart Talks Jean-Luc Picard And His Philosophy
It was the year 1966 when Star Trek: The Original Series premiered and ran for 3 seasons. In 1987, Star Trek: The Next Generation was released and ran for 7 seasons and fans fell in love with the characters.
Patrick Stewart’s performance as Jean-Luc Picard was praised heavily and the actor also had a liking to his character. Well, in his interview with NPR, Stewart revealed that Jean-Luc Picard’s philosophy was most endearing to him.
Yes. I see it very, very clearly and very strongly. It was about truth and fairness and honesty and respect for others, no matter who they were or what strange alien creature they looked like.
He further continued,
That was immaterial. They were alive. And if they needed help, Jean Luc Picard and his crew, his team, were there to give it.
So, in a way, fans felt that the Star Trek franchise was better than Star Wars in one particular aspect and that is preaching philosophies and giving sage advice.
On the other hand, the 1987 series, Star Trek: The Next Generation received a rating of 8.7/10 on IMDB and a whopping 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. With seven seasons to its name, the iconic show is available to stream on Paramount+ in the U.S.
