Patrick Stewart will always be known for his role as Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
And it’s a role Stewart himself doesn’t take lightly. In a recent interview with NPR, the 83-year-old actor described the part as a ministry, largely due to the fans who bravely told him about how their lives, their health, and their mental health was improved by watching The Next Generation.
"“Its impact on so many people has been extraordinary, ranging from people saying that it became their education to others who said, I was going to end my life, but I couldn’t because I wouldn’t be able to see “Star Trek” anymore.”"
It might seem strange that a television show could have such an impact, but this was Star Trek, a series focused on, in Stewart’s words, truth, fairness, honesty, and respect for others. It didn’t matter if it was an alien creature or a human, they were all going to be treated fairly.
Captain Picard influenced more than just the fans who watched his compassion and empathy each week.
Stewart acknowledges that he and his colleagues were enjoying their jobs as actors and to know that what they were doing was also changing people’s lives was an incredible reward. Playing a man of understanding and honesty, Stewart says the role gave him an idea of how he could become a better person, and he took those feelings and made them a “strong and firm” part of his life.
Though Captain Picard and the characters on The Next Generation were fictional, it isn’t surprising that the effects of playing such a team would be impactful. Picard is often rated as one of the best captains in the Star Trek universe, and Stewart himself is often seem as close to a fictional character as he could possibly be.
Fans love both the part he played and the man himself, and the role didn’t just change him; it changed us.