10 Amazing Behind-The-Scenes Secrets From Star Trek: The Next Generation

Depending on which one of his many contradictory interviews you choose to believe, Patrick Stewart was either deeply honoured to be cast in this role because he was such an admirer of Star Trek, or had never really heard of the show before and thought it might be a bit of a laugh to give it a go.

Regardless of how he felt about getting the part though, one thing he is consistent on is how sceptical he was about its long-term viability. Convinced, he always states, that it would either be cancelled after the first season or simply not picked up on syndication following the pilot, he didn't bother moving out of his Los Angeles hotel for the duration of season one. Barely even getting unpacked until further seasons were greenlit by Paramount.

Which means that one item in his suitcase that would have been staring at him for almost a year... was his hairpiece.

Gene Roddenberry, for whatever reason, couldn't envisage his new captain not having a full head of hair, and would only even consider Stewart's audition if he read the part with a wig. After considering all the other candidates (including Alien's Yaphet Kotto and Suits' Stephen Macht), he decided that hair meant nothing in the 24th Century, and acquiesced.