Following Patrick Stewart's death, I'm still wrestling with the fact that the beloved actor is no longer with us. At the same time, though, I've also been enjoying the sweet and interesting anecdotes shared by those who've worked with him. With that, I was shocked to read a recently resurfaced story about Wil Wheaton apologizing to Stewart. It turned out the former child actor had some guilt about his behavior on the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I'm not at all surprised to hear how Stewart responded.
The apology apparently came shortly after the end of production on 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, which Wheaton was originally in before getting cut from the movie. Wheaton wrote in his book Just A Geek that he apologized to Stewart for his cocky behavior on the set of The Next Generation. After admitting he'd "been a dick" during filming, Wheaton wrote that the Picard actor said the following (via Star Trek Fan Group):
Wil, my dear, you were a teenager. We all understood… I wasn't thrilled about working with a child, but working with you was a great pleasure.
It's worth remembering that when Star Trek: The Next Generation first started, Wheaton was the biggest star of the bunch. The majority of audiences knew him through Rob Reiner's 1986 coming-of-age drama, Stand By Me, while Stewart and others were relative unknowns. This, paired with alleged emotional abuse at home, led Wheaton to have an arrogant attitude on set.
Wil Wheaton wouldn't open up about any of that until long after his time working on The Next Generation, and at this point, he's spoken about it at length. As Wheaton previously explained, the TNG cast was there for him when he felt his parents weren't, and he also saw Patrick Stewart as a father figure.
Stewart wrote about Wheaton on the set of TNG in his own memoir, Making It So. While the actor admitted feeling some annoyance at the young actor having such bravado, he ultimately realized it stemmed from his own insecurities as a lead in his breakout television role:
To me, he initially came off as cocky. But as I examined my feelings, I realized that they were not really about Wil or some notion that he should know his place as a juvenile actor — they reflected my own vulnerability. In those first weeks, I wished I had Wil’s confidence.
Wheaton shared a sweet throwback photo of him and Patrick Stewart shortly after news of the latter's death broke. It's great to know that, despite feeling like a "dick" for how he acted, Wheaton has such fond memories of that time and holds such a deep reverence for all of his cast members.
Stewart's death feels like a capstone on a year in which Star Trek's 60th anniversary has felt like a bittersweet celebration. His passing came just on the heels of fans mourning Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original series.
Take those two massive losses and the fact that there are no Star Trek shows in active development, and it's been a bit of a downer year. However, there is a movie in development as well as growing optimism that while Trek is in a valley, it may peak once again in the future. At present, though, I'm content with honoring Patrick Stewart for his contributions to Trek and for his character as human being.
Readers needing Star Trek in their lives can always stream the series on Paramount+, or for free over on Pluto TV. I've been streaming TNG in the wake of Stewart's death and have had a blast watching him in action.
