I never met Patrick Stewart. I'd seen him on TV many times, playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but I never had the opportunity to talk with him in person. That wasn't unusual. My career in radio brought me into contact with lots of musicians, record company executives, and band managers from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s; but as for the folks who were on TV or in movies, our paths seldom crossed. Every now and then, I might meet a local TV reporter or someone who starred on a popular local show. But I'd be lying if I said I knew the big-name stars on the major networks. Yes, I often met the members of well-known rock bands; but when I turned on my TV at home, I was just another fan, watching my favorite shows and wondering what some of the performers were really like.
In most cases, I never found out. And because I understood what publicists do (having briefly worked as one), I knew that what was in the fan magazines seldom told the entire story. So, all I could do was imagine what I might say if I ever did run into someone whose show I liked to watch. But I knew that I probably would never get the chance. And that may have been for the best-- I didn't come from that world, and I undoubtedly wouldn't have had much in common with the typical TV or movie star. At least, with musicians, I had years of working as a deejay-- interviewing up-and-coming bands, going backstage at shows, spending time at recording studios. Yes, I had been on TV as a guest on a few occasions, but it wasn't the same as working in that industry. In other words, if I had ever met Patrick Stewart, the conversation might have been awkward.
But even though I never met him, I felt as if I knew him; or rather, I felt as if I knew the character he played. Stewart was British, and a former Shakespearean actor, and I don't think he expected to become a success on American TV. And yet, he brought Captain Picard to life in a way that only a great actor could. And those of us who loved The Next Generation bonded with the captain because of Stewart's skill as an actor.
I was not particularly a fan of science-fiction. The original Star Trek, the one that starred William Shatner in the late 1960s, never appealed to me. But there was something about TNG (as the show was often abbreviated) that I could relate to. The first thing I noticed was the writing: the opening of the original said the starship was seeking out strange new worlds, and the goal was to "boldly go where no man has gone before." On TNG, they modified the introduction: "to boldly go where no-one has gone before." It wasn't political correctness: women were more active participants in TNG, and they played more prominent roles than they did in the original (a hat-tip to the late Nichelle Nichols, for her role as Lt. Uhura in the original). And the plots on TNG were much more complex and well-written; these were characters who became like familiar friends as you watched them every week.
The series had so many talented actors and actresses. I especially loved Brent Spiner, who played Data, the android who wanted to be human; Jonathan Frakes made First Officer Will Riker very believable; and Gates McFadden was dynamic as Dr. Beverly Crusher... But everything revolved around the character of Captain Picard. He was a steady presence in a crisis. He was a mentor, a motivator, a source of ethics. He was the captain, but he wasn't an autocrat-- in fact, he respected the crew, and he encouraged them to think for themselves. And if he made a mistake, he owned up to it-- the mark of any good leader. I loved how eloquently he spoke. And no matter how many times he had to face a crisis, he somehow managed to come through it courageously.
What brought all of this to mind is that Patrick Stewart died several days ago, at age 86. News of his death came as a shock. Few of us knew he had been ill. In fact, he had voiced a character in a wonderful movie, "The Sheep Detectives," earlier this year. It seems we've lost far too many good people in 2026, many of them in their 70s and 80s. (I'll be honest: I'm 79, and seeing so many folks that age pass away makes me a little nervous.) Anyway, although I never met Patrick Stewart, he was such a key part of my life in the late 1980s/early 1990s. There's a certain comfort that comes from watching a favorite series, and I never missed an episode of TNG. To this day, I can picture Captain Picard sitting in his ready room, drinking his hot Earl Grey tea. His commands to his officers became catch-phrases in the popular culture. I can still hear him say them-- "Engage." "Make it so."
And if I had met him, I would have thanked him for providing me with so much good entertainment. But since I can't do that, I'm dedicating this blog post to his memory. His character once asked that we never forget the starship Enterprise. I won't forget the man who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard and transported us to a universe where we too could "explore strange new worlds... To seek out new life and new civilizations... To boldly go where no one has gone before." Rest in peace, Patrick Stewart.
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