Star Trek: Picard's Sir Patrick Stewart reflects on making his TV debut on Coronation Street
Sir Patrick Stewart may be best known for his role as Picard in Star Trek, but long before he was the captain of the USS Enterprise the actor made his TV debut on another iconic series, ITV soap Coronation Street.
And that's a little something that The One Show hosts Alex Jones and Rylan Clark-Neal couldn't wait to ask the actor about as he joined them via video link for a chat on today's (July 23) programme.
"Sir Patrick, we were so shocked. We had no idea that you did a little bit on Corrie!" Rylan said, prompting the actor to reflect on filming the role back in 1967.
Related: Star Trek: Picard's Patrick Stewart reveals his lockdown hobby on The Graham Norton Show
"It was the end of my first season with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the end of that season, expecting that I would be let go, [RSC founder] Peter Hall offered me a three-year contract," Stewart recalled.
"I was so overwhelmed and I accepted, of course, but they had nothing for me to do so I was free and up came this little appearance in Coronation Street. Well, I mean does it get any more significant than that? I think not."
Stewart also added that his role as a fireman, which saw him extinguish a fire caused by Dennis Tanner at number 9, also had the added benefit of reassuring his parents that he could make money from acting after all.
"And more than anything else it made my parents very happy," he added. "At last they saw that I might possibly have a career being an actor."
Earlier this month, Stewart's close friend Sir Ian McKellen also reminded us that he had actually advised Stewart against accepting the now-iconic role of Picard.
"He's long forgiven me my advice not to risk a solid career on the British stage by falling for an uncertain future in Star Trek," McKellen explained.
"How he got that job is a prime example of how luck can be a lady and it will be a riveting chapter in the memoir he must write."
Meanwhile, Star Trek has also just shared the first teaser for its new animated series Prodigy, which is scheduled to premiere on Nickelodeon in 2021.
Star Trek: Picard will return for a second season on CBS All Access in the US and Amazon Prime Video internationally, including the UK. The One Show airs weekdays at 7pm on BBC One.
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