How Patrick Stewart Felt About Star Trek: The Next Generation's Cancellation

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The famed British actor Patrick Stewart died on October 28 at age 86, but he had a big captain's chair to fill on the bridge of the USS Enterprise when he took over the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in 1987. He was one of only two characters to appear in all 176 of the series' episodes and won multiple Saturn awards for playing Picard. But after all that time and effort, he was ready to step away from the role when Paramount ended the series after Season 7. 

According to the book "Patrick Stewart: an Unauthorized Biography" by James Hatfield and George "Doc" Burt, Stewart made a short speech to his co-workers after the filming of the final episode was finished. He invoked a quote from the trailblazing psychiatrist Robin Skynner about how growth requires us to abandon stability, and that constant change and reinvention means we're making progress. "The fullest living is a constant dying of the past, enjoying the present fully while holding it lightly," Stewart said. "Our experience of the past, and of those dear to us, is not lost at all, but remains richly within us." Even after his death, Stewart will remain richly within the hearts of fans of "Star Trek" and the co-stars who remembered him fondly upon hearing of his death.

Patrick Stewart also talked about the end of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for the unauthorized 1996 biography; expressing his apprehension about being pigeonholed into similar roles. "I was nervous, yes," he said. "I had seen it happen to others. I looked at 'Star Trek' as a very luxurious albatross. I was ready to move on for quite a while. For me, the timing was perfect." Stewart went on to play Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise while continuing to voice and play Picard in post-TNG Star Trek films, video games, and three seasons of the follow-up series "Star Trek: Picard' beginning in 2020. 

In July 2026, he reflected more positively on the experience of playing Picard. In an interview for TV Insider, Stewart said, "Without question, Jean-Luc is the most significant role of my career. And I will be forever grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of what is now such a historic franchise."