(August 9, 2018 at 12:57 pm)KevinM1 Wrote:(August 9, 2018 at 3:56 am)Jehanne Wrote: I remember a Tonight Show episode with Patrick Stewart where he openly admired that it was "just about the money" as to why he played the role of Jean-Luc Picard. It was such a letdown to hear him say that; Jay Leno, of course, took it all in stride.
I don't know how famous Stewart was across the pond before TNG, but in the states he was just a dude who had small parts in that crappy Dune movie and that trippy Excalibur movie. TNG offered him a way to increase his fame and bank account with very little risk (he could always simply go back to theater and small movie roles). That the role became iconic is a testament to both the writers of that era, and his performances (especially season 3 forward), but I neither doubt nor begrudge him for taking the role because he wanted to get paid for his craft.
I have no problem with people wanting to make money, but, after encountering the visionary Gene Roddenberry, I would have thought that Mr. Stewart would have had something a little "deeper" to say while on national television.
