Growing up, Sir Patrick Stewart never dreamed of being a knight. "I just dreamed [that] there was some food for the next meal," he told Ophira Eisenberg on the Ask Me Another stage in Brooklyn. As a boy, Stewart's heroes were distinguished thespians — Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Sir Alec Guinness and Sir John Clements. But recently, Stewart's friend Sir Ian McKellan pointed out to him, "You know, Patrick... those actors, those remote heroes, those gods we admired so much — it's now us!"
And certainly over his career, Stewart has been both an actor's hero and an action hero. He's appeared on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company for over 40 years, in film as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, and on TV as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Despite his legendary career and knighthood, he's quite down-to-earth. In fact, Stewart walked to The Bell House from his home in Brooklyn. "I [didn't] think sirs walk," Eisenberg said, to which Stewart jokingly replied, "Actually, they should be carried."
For his VIP game, Stewart was quizzed on the meanings of Shakespearean insults. Also in this episode, Stewart recites well-known song lyrics with the elegance and gravitas of a West End performance, including favorites by AC/DC and Taylor Swift. A clip of his delivery even went viral on Twitter and got back to Swift, who officially invited Stewart to join her unstoppable squad!
This segment originally aired on Aug. 20, 2015.
Highlights
On getting around in Brooklyn
But nevertheless, I still had my limo drive me here. You know have you to keep up appearances, that's what show business is all about.
On the knighthood and politics
They say, 'How can you be a passionate member of the left wing and at the same time accept a knighthood?'
Ophira: Pretty easy.
Stewart: Well it was.
Heard in Sir Patrick Stewart: Brush Up Your Shakespeare
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