Star Trek Interviews (10) - Profile of/Interview with
                             Patrick Stewart/Jean-Luc Picard
       Taken from the Public Domain

Part Three: Continued from last issue

@~What of the rest of the crew?  Many people were quite worried when
@~they heard that there was going to be a very clever boy (Wes
@~Crusher) on board.

"I'm very interested in the relationship with Wesley Crusher,
because it was established at the beginning that the Captain felt
uncomfortable with children, and yet here is this child genius on
board.  Well, that relationship develops.  It won't surprise you
to hear that in a future episode, because of something he does,
the young man is actually made a junior ensign on the ship.  In
fact, curiously, there's not a scene I haven't played with that
young actor that doesn't rank amongst my favorites in the series.
He's an extraordinarily gifted, over and above what you would
expect from someone of his age, and round about episode 20, 22 he
and I have a long scene together where he's deeply troubled by
something and it's a cracking scene.  He brings so much to it.  I
love working with him.  But that relationship, and of course
because it partly affects my relationship with the Doctor on the
ship, is going to be quite important.  The relationship with the
Doctor is one that will become more interesting as the series goes
on."

@~When I saw the pilot it did cross my mind that Wesley would turn
@~out to be the Captain's son.  I'm not so sure now.

"Not an unusual theory that, it has been voiced.  No.  He's not.
I can tell you that, absolutely categorically.  He is the son of
Jack Crusher, but watch this space as far as all that is
concerned."

"But equally I feel that more contrast in the relationship between
myself and First Officer Riker is something that should happen.  I
look forward, to, perhaps, more humour in the relationship with
Data, who is quite brilliantly played by Brent Spiner.  That's an
outstanding performance.  There is an episode coming up called
Datalore in which we happen to be passing by the planet where he
was discovered.  And so we say let's call in and have a look at
this place.  He's not remotely interested of course, because being
an android he doesn't care where he came from.  He has no feelings
about it."

"What happens is that they discover in this abandoned laboratory
where he was made the dis-assembled bits of another android, which
Data re-assembles on the ship, and it's a twin.  Terrific episode
that, and Spiner's work in that is superb, because, as you
realise, he plays both roles."

"I think there is much more to be done with the character of La
Forge.  LeVar is a fine actor.  He has a kind of irreverence about
him, about the whole thing, which should be developed more
thoroughly.  Have you seen Hide and Q?"

@~No.

"'Q' comes back to plague us again, and he gives Riker
extraordinary powers, to grant people whatever they wish, and of
course one of the things he gives to La Forge is his sight back,
but La Forge doesn't want it back."

"You probably know by now that we have lost one of our principal
cast members during the course of the season, 'though very very
late.  There are only a few episodes she doesn't appear in, Denise
Crosby.  She did leave the show during the season, sadly, but in a
first season of what might prove to be a long series people
discover whether it's something they really want to be doing or
not, and Denise felt that she didn't quite have enough to do.  But
it would have been nice had we kept the original team together,
because as a personality she is much missed."

@~Could The Next Generation be a long-term project, or even lead
@~into a cinema series in 20 years time?

"It's always a mistake for any actor to think of anything being
long term.  You go day by day.  I always have done, all of my
life.  I think it's quite possible I might be making a Star Trek
movie in 20 years time.  After all William Shatner and co. are,
and so far as I can see enjoying it enormously and having a huge
success at it.  I don't see myself still doing a Star Trek TV
series in 20 years time, nor, I would have thought, would anybody
want to see me doing a Star Trek series in 20 years time.  But at
the moment there is nothing I would rather be doing.  It is
perpetually interesting, simulating, and challenging.  I am
working with a group of people who I like enormously.  We have a
lot of fun.

"Life on the Enterprise is... well sometimes it has to be
restrained from being too much of a perpetual party.  But it is
the happiest working atmosphere I have ever been involved with.
We work hard, long hours, and, curiously, even though we were all
exhausted when the season finished just two or three weeks ago,
and I'm back here now, briefly, in London, with my family and
looking forward to a holiday next month, I miss it.  I'm actually
suffering withdrawal symptoms from all of that!  Ironically
enough, because when the season finished I thought 'My God I can't
imagine ever starting up on all this', but already I'm thinking
'What will I be doing in June, what will our work be like?'"

@~The only new aliens I'd seen at that point were the Ferengi, and I
@~wasn't exactly sure what I thought of them.

"The Last Outpost introduces you to the Ferengi and I think they are
going to be interesting characters.  We shall be seeing more of
them.  They do actually reappear.  A major episode for me is called
The Battle, which came about in the middle of the season, in which
it's a kind of one-on-one confrontation between me and the Ferengi
Starship Captain.  They bring something from Picard's past, from a
famous battle in which he carried out what has become know as the
Picard Manoeuvre.  I think they're great.  I'm delighted with them."

@~Of course the people who talk about Star Trek the most are the
@~fans.  What has been Patrick Stewart's reaction to them?

"I was just puzzled, initially, about that whole subculture of
fandom to do with Science Fiction, particularly Star Trek, because
I had little first hand experience of it.  Over the months,
particularly with the kind of mail that I get, which is very
interesting, from the real fans.  They write most interesting
letters, not without criticism.  Often quite interesting
criticism.  That sound's patronising.  No, invariably quite
justifiable criticism of what we're doing.  But they have an
intelligent interest in the show, which I appreciate."

"However, my first hand experience of them was when I attended my
first Convention about a month ago in Denver, and came face to
face with over three thousand of them.  That was overwhelming.
I've never had an experience like it in my life.  It was awesome."

@~Already the hour was up and it was time to let someone else ask
@~all the old questions yet again, but I did manage to ask if there
@~was any way Patrick Stewart would like to develop the Captain's
@~character.

"Oh we've talked about some of the things.  I am anxious to become
more involved actively in the stories so that I don't simply
become a kind of geriatric pen pusher, and that's already
happening.  I've been doing a good deal more action.  I have
created an action-activity recreation for him, which we shall be
seeing in one of the very last episodes.  More than anything, and
this is something we also discussed, I am very anxious, think it
important for the success of the show, that the relationships
between all the characters are made richer.  At the moment I think
there is a little stiffness still about them.  For instance the
nature of relaxation and interplay between Shatner and Nimoy and
so on in The Voyage Home is the kind of ease and relaxation we
should find in our show.  I admire their work so much in that
film.  I would like everyone to become much more idiosyncratic,
much more 'characters' and it's gently moving in that direction.
But for that we need the scripts to assist and aid that."





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