Star Trek: 10 Biggest Takeaways From Patrick Stewart's Memoir (and One That Wasn't)
6. Captain By A Hairpiece's Breath
The story of Stewart's casting, and the contention he faced from Gene Roddenberry, is well-known. According to the book, he was still unsure by the end of the Star Trek creator's life if the man had truly come to terms with the casting of the bald English thespian.
The first, brief, meeting saw Patrick standing in Roddenberry's lounge being assessed, with Gene flying into a rage after his departure because he did not want to see Stewart for the part. This would go even further with the Star Trek creator demanding that Stewart's name never be mentioned in his presence.
Robert Justman continued to support Stewart's casting, as did Rick Berman, and after repeat trips to Los Angeles it came down to a final two. To this day Stewart still does not know who the other finalist was.
The legendary story around it is that Stewart's wig had to be flown out to the US for that final audition. Once his hair had been placed on his head, not a person in the room could stand to look at it. The rest, as they say, is history.