Sir Patrick Stewart: ‘When will someone cast me as Falstaff?!’

How is it only now that such a remarkable stage and screen career, one which has spanned seven decades, has finally reached the page? The answer is perhaps self-evident; since his first professional stage appearance at Bristol’s Theatre Royal in 1959, Sir Patrick has rarely stopped, in a career that has taken in the stages of the West End, Broadway, screens both small and silver, and endeared him to generation upon generation of fans.

Making It So offers a welcome first-hand tour along Sir Patrick’s journey, from working class West Yorkshire upbringing to the Royal Shakespeare Company, his iconic role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Olivier and Grammy Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. All of it achieved with remarkable humility and an enduring connection to his roots that has seen him become as synonymous with his native Yorkshire as coal, brass instruments and thrift.

On Saturday 21 October we’re delighted to welcome Sir Patrick to our Royal Festival Hall as he launches Making It So as part of our London Literature Festival. Like you, we can’t wait to hear from him, and so we didn’t. Ahead of his appearance here we caught up with Sir Patrick to find out more about his experience of writing his memoir, his enduring connection to his hometown, and how the role he is perhaps most synonymous with has, over time, grown to be ‘a friend and a great gift’.

Did you always want to be an actor, Sir Patrick? And what did your family think about you pursuing acting as a career?

It was not until my teacher, Cecil Dormand, put a copy of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in my hands did I have any desire to become an actor. But once those words were in my mouth, at the young age of twelve, something shifted in me. My parents were as supportive as they could be, given their backgrounds, and were very proud of what they were able to witness of my career before they passed.

Were there any moments during your career where you perhaps doubted whether acting had been the right path?

I never doubted that it was the ‘right path’ for me, but (like many other artists) I doubted whether I myself was good enough. That said, I think a little dash of self-doubt is part of what keeps me ambitious. Even at my age of 83, I’m still searching, still eager to grow.

Your life has taken you to London to Hollywood and New York, but you’ve always maintained a connection to Huddersfield; why is that link to where you grew up so important to you?

I am an innately proud Yorkshireman and would be regardless of the path I took in life. However, without the incredibly generous grant I received from the West Riding County Council, I doubt I would be where I am today. With this support, I was able to attend the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and from that point forward I was an actor. I owe so much of my success to the faith that was put in me by my home community, and I feel a duty to repay it.

You’ve been knighted, you’ve a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and received too many awards for us to list in this question, but what’s been your proudest moment?

I must admit that seeing my memoir in a bookshop for the first time filled me with a great deal of pride, in a most unexpected way. I never thought I would be an author, but I’ve been a passionate reader all my life. So to see my memoir, in the company of scores of other books, is a very special moment for me.

What was the process of bringing your memoir together like? Was it a pleasant experience?

It was a truly fascinating process, almost like self-psychoanalysis. Once I actually started, the words just poured out of me. And I found that if I stopped the day’s work knowing where I would begin the following day, I could keep the flow moving forward.

It’s just over 35 years since you first appeared as Jean-Luc Picard, how does it feel to be so synonymous with a particular role for so long?

I have experienced a wide range of feelings about being known for the role of Picard, which I think is very natural. For years it became something of a limitation as I often felt typecast or ‘marked’ by it. But in time, and with enough other work behind me, I’ve come to feel that people see other aspects of me as well – ‘Patrick Stewart is funny!’ And now, at this stage of my life and career, Jean-Luc is a friend, and a great gift.

Do you ever wonder what your life would have been like, or what path your career would have taken, if you hadn’t taken on the role of Picard?

Quite frankly, no. Because I know very well what path my career would have taken – the one I was already on. I actually hesitated taking the role of Picard, as it took me away from some theatre opportunities I already had in the works. I would have continued on as I was, and who knows? Maybe it would have been me cast as Gandalf and not that Lancastrian lad!

Do you prefer acting on the stage or screen? And has this preference changed over time?

I enjoy acting on both the stage and in front of a camera, but there is no doubt that my heart will always be in the theatre. There’s just nothing like a live audience, nothing like working in the moment with other actors.

Is there a role that you haven’t played as an actor that you’d still love to do?

I’ve answered this question more times than I can count, and yet nobody seems to be listening. When will someone cast me as Falstaff?!

And similarly is there a role you’ve played before that you’d love to return to, and perhaps portray differently a second time around?

I left Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to start work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the character of George has never quite left me, but I think at this point I’m a bit too old for the role.

And lastly, what won’t we read in your memoir?

You won’t read anything mean-spirited in my memoir. I approached the writing from a place of deep gratitude and I hope that comes through to readers.

by Glen Wilson