Sir Patrick Stewart has revealed he was “very disappointed” in the “quality and nature” of his work in the first series of Star Trek: The Next Generation as he said “it was not real enough”.
The theatre, film and television actor, 83, also known for starring in the X-Men movies and Charlie’s Angels, said that he watched “two whole seasons” of the sci-fi show in preparation for writing his memoir Making It So.
Appearing on The Graham Norton Show to discuss his new book, Stewart spoke about his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in series one of the hit show and said: “It was very authoritarian and very commanding but was way too stentorian.
“It was my stage background, and it didn’t work. In the second series I was much better because I had been working with very good American actors.
“I watched what they did and played it with the same openness and freedom.”
Stewart also discussed his childhood, saying: “It was a very different world and the dominant feeling I have about it is that I never even fantasised that my life would be like this.
“We didn’t have a television or a gramophone, just a radio that was tuned to the Home Service.
“My world was books which I read by candlelight in the outside lavatory.”
Also on the sofa was Dame Joan Collins who discussed her new autobiography Behind The Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends.
The 90-year-old opened up about her experiences as a young actress in Hollywood and said: “It was really difficult. Thanks to the Me Too movement it has all come out into the open now and I think young people are having a better chance of not having to face that.
“One experience I had was being asked to meet a producer who was in the bath. He definitely wasn’t playing with his rubber duck when he asked me to get in with him. When I refused, I was asked to leave, and I didn’t get the part!”
Other guests on the BBC One chat show included Strictly Come Dancing contestant Layton Williams, The Menu actor Ralph Fiennes and The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey, who spoke about their role in the latest series of BBC show Time.
They said: “I look about 14 so this is the first time I have played someone my age. It was also the first time I was on set without my mum being my chaperone.
“I stayed on my own in Liverpool, so it was a lot of firsts. I didn’t go wild, I just watched Finding Nemo – it was key to leaving the role behind.”
Speaking about fame and what it has been like to see themselves on screen, the 20-year-old added: “I can watch myself because I disassociate from it being me.
“I don’t think about being famous because I don’t feel any different. I am just so busy, which to me is the only difference.”
Performing on the show with his single Cry was Zak Abel, who revealed that he had taken some time out of music as he started to lose his hearing and “had to relearn pitch”.
The 28-year-old told Norton: “I can’t sing as in tune as I used to, but I manage.”
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
