During a SAG Foundation Conversations interview, the actor known for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard explains why Commander Data's death scene was so emotional for him.
- July 7, 2020
AceShowbiz - Sir Patrick Stewart still can't talk about his final scene with longtime "Star Trek" co-star Brent Spiner without getting choked up.
The actor admits he and his old friend had to do a lot of personal preparation before shooting Commander Data's death scene on "Star Trek: Picard", because it was so emotional.
"I get choked up talking about it," he said during a recent SAG Foundation Conversations interview. "Brent Spiner, who I love very much, and I have such a history going back 25 years... to be sitting quietly, just the two of us, for most of the day that scene took to shoot. We were talking about elements of our characters' lives, but they were huge overlaps with our personal lives as well."
"When the moment came to leave him I'd been asked to walk to the door, turn around and say, 'Goodbye Commander'. I couldn't do it because of all of the associations of Goodbye to Data, Goodbye to Brent Spiner, Goodbye to Star Trek; all of these things."
Stewart insisted on taking the chair he used in the scene home, adding, "I asked if I could buy it because that chair took on so much importance."
"This is sentimental trash but I can go and sit in that chair... and feel what I felt when I was alone on the set with Brent," he smiled.
