Marina Sirtis on “Freeing” Patrick Stewart and Their Unlikely Bond
The Star Trek actress recounts how she helped loosen the famously serious Patrick Stewart on set and beyond.
Initial Apprehensions
Marina Sirtis recalled being warned by friends from the Royal Shakespeare Company that Patrick Stewart was all about the work and would not tolerate “mucking about.” She admitted she felt “scared” and “intimidated” when they were first cast together on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Loosening the Englishman
The younger cast, Sirtis says, made a “concerted effort” to shake up Stewart, describing him as a typical “Yorkshireman” with a “stiff upper lip.” She notes that Stewart eventually told them they weren’t there “to have fun,” but the crew persisted. Stewart later told Sirtis that they had “freed him,” giving him a freedom he had never really felt before.
Mutual Learning
Sirtis emphasizes that the exchange went both ways, praising Stewart’s “professionalism” and “absolutely insane talent.” She credits him with adding gravitas to the series, turning what she calls a “punchline” into a show with depth, thanks to his Shakespearean background.
Stewart’s Career Decision
According to Sirtis, Stewart’s friends warned him against taking the role, fearing it would end his career. He ignored them, and the role became “the best decision in showbusiness at that time.” An early review called him an “unknown Shakespearean actor,” a clippings the cast taped to his trailer door, which he left up for years.
Personal Parallels
Sirtis mentions both she and Stewart grew up “dirt poor” and experienced childhood trauma, noting they never sat down to discuss it fully but could sense each other’s histories.
Support During Grief
After her husband died a month before the pandemic, Sirtis spent a year alone in Los Angeles. Stewart was “one of the very few people who invited me over for lunch, socially distanced in his garden,” recognizing her grief and acting on it.
On‑Screen Advocacy
In one of the Star Trek movies, a scene originally written for Picard and Data involved Picard recounting a family fire. Stewart approached writers and producers, asking that Sirtis replace Brent Spiner so she could “look into my eyes” to convey the needed emotion.
Football Connections
Stewart’s support of Huddersfield Town, rather than a more glamorous club, mirrors Sirtis’s own Tottenham allegiance. When Tottenham faced Huddersfield in 2018, both gave interviews, and the match‑day programme dubbed the fixture the “Star Trek derby,” a point Sirtis values more than an acting award.
Last Years and Farewell
Sirtis describes their bond as “the absolute privilege of my life and my career.” She notes that Stewart’s health later made phone calls difficult, and he passed away quickly, leaving her unable to say a final goodbye.
