Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jean-Luc Picard

5. Don't Be Afraid To Correct The Captain, Just Make Sure You Bring The Receipts

David Livingston
CBS

David Livingston directed Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in two episodes of The Next Generation - The Mind's Eye and Power Play. Generally, he found Stewart to be very easy to direct, as the actor had a clear idea of who the captain was, and how to present that.

He did recall one day of shooting, though he was present as a producer this time, not as a director. He was standing off to the side, and he heard Stewart flub a line. Then, to his surprise, the director yelled 'Cut, print.' Livingston then approached both and told him what he had heard.

Stewart disagreed that he had made a mistake, as did the director. Livingston then asked the sound team to play the line back - proving him right. Stewart thanked him, and they reshot the line.

Livingston later joked that telling the captain of the Enterprise that he'd made a mistake was one of the most nerve-wracking things he had ever done, but as his responsibility as a producer overrode all else, he had to speak up. Thankfully the recording team were on the ball!

 
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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"