The word “legend” gets thrown around an awful lot these days. But it’s tough to come up with any other term when you’re looking to describe Sir Patrick Stewart .
He’s a thespian, an advocate , a father, and a friend. As well as one of the most iconic movie and TV stars of our time.
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Get to know Sir Patrick Stewart and check out these 10+ cool facts fans didn’t know.
1. Patrick began losing his hair while he was still a teenager.
He admitted to having a pretty bad comb-over and that he also changed the way he walked so as to not call attention to his hair.
“I wore hats all the time, caps, especially if it was windy.”
2. He has a scholarship in his name from Amnesty International.
The scholarship was designed to help give students practical experience in the field of human rights .
They range from $300-$1800 and can be used for things such as travel, materials, etc.
3. Patrick thought he’d be fired from *Star Trek*.
“I can remember shooting the pilot and not knowing what I was doing. I didn’t know how to walk. I didn’t know how to wear my spacesuit, or anything. I didn’t know what was going on. I am amazed they didn’t fire [me].”
4. He was a huge fan of Mike Judge’s *Beavis And Butthead*.
“I love that show. I’m so sorry that it’s gone. I don’t know why it appealed to me, but it did. It was brilliant , that’s why. Incredible characters. Heh heh heh heh.”
5. Patrick considers the work of Laurel and Hardy extremely influential.
“I grew up loving Laurel and Hardy . In fact, my grandmother babysat Stan Laurel when he was a few months old — she ran a boarding house in the northeast of England. I worshipped them.”
In fact, Patrick hoped to segue into comedy when he first began his acting career.
“I always thought, when I became a professional, that I would just move into comedy,” Patrick stated. “But it never happened. I became this sort of, ugh, somber, dreary, kind of pompous figure.”
6. He’s still peeved about not being cast in the *Harry Potter* films.
According to Sir Patrick, he wasn’t even asked! Coincidentally, neither was Sir Ian McKellan.
Can you imagine that? I, for one, think Patrick would have made a fantastic Albus Dumbledore .
7. Sir Patrick is 100% against BREXIT.
BREXIT was a political referendum that resulted in the United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
Sir Patrick calls the politicians misguided and says that he fears the consequences will be calamitous.
8. Even though he’s had an incredibly accomplished career, there are two awards that still allude him.
“I would really like a Tony and an Academy Award . Anybody who’s listening who happens to have any influence in that direction, I’d be grateful.”
9. He once gave his wife an incredibly romantic, thoughtful, yet incredibly odd Valentine’s Day gift.
“My wife loves ancient olive trees , and so that is what I’ve given my wife as Valentine’s present. It’s now planted in my garden and it’s amazing. It is 38 years old; we’ve given it a name. It’s called Valentina.”
10. Sir Patrick has been known to knit in his down time.
“My mother was a knitter and she taught me how to knit.”
Can you imagine getting a pair of X-Men socks that had been hand-knitted by Charles Xavier himself?! I would wear those for the rest of my life.
11. He only drinks Earl Grey tea on very special occasions.
Unless you’re a Trekkie, you’re probably unaware that Earl Grey tea was the preferred drink of choice of the SS Enterprise’s own Captain Jean-Luc Picard!
In real life, Sir Patrick says he prefers a brand called Yorkshire Gold .
12. Patrick had a hilariously embarrassing *Star Trek* story.
It happened while Sir Patrick was alone one night in his hotel room.
He was absent-mindedly flicking through the channels when he happened to come across an old episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation .
He planned on only watching for a moment, but before he knew what had happened, Patrick was hooked!
He was so enveloped in what was going on that he’d completely forgotten that he ordered room service.
The bellhop who brought him his meal walked in on Sir Patrick, alone in his hotel room, watching old episodes of himself on television!
13. Patrick runs in prestigious “Sir-cles.”
Patrick was out for dinner one evening at the Tower Bar in Los Angeles when he happened to come upon Sir Paul McCartney . Shortly after, the pair were joined by Sir Ringo Starr, which caused Paul to exclaim:
“Hey, we’ve got the Knights of the Round Table!”
14. He dreamed of being a concert pianist.
Patrick once studied piano with classical pianist Emanuel Ax, and Patrick once said that, if he had to choose someone to trade places with, it would be him.
How cool is that?!
15. He has his high school English teacher to thank for his acting career!
Patrick’s teacher, Cecil Dormand, once gave the now 80-year-old actor a copy of a Shakespearean play and told him to “get up on your feet and perform.”
16. He was once named the “Most Bodacious Man on TV,” which is truly iconic.
TV Guide gave the actor this esteemed title in 1992. When asked how he felt about the honor, Patrick joked he wish he’d received the award when he was 19 years old.
He said age 19 because that’s when he started balding, as we previously learned!
He said he didn’t think any woman would ever be interested in him again!
Well, now he is bald and 80 and women are STILL interested in him!
17. Push-ups are his secret to success!
You may recall when Patrick nearly BROKE THE INTERNET by posting a pic of his six-pack a few years ago! When asked by a fan what his secret was Patrick replied simply, PUSH-UPS!
18. He is a bee keeper! BEE KEEPER KING!
Posting a video of himself in his full bee gear, he captioned the post, “Since I was a child, I’ve fantasized about keeping bees, and I finally am. BeeStew!”
How sweet is that? LITERALLY!
19. He sponsored a scholarship at the University of Huddersfield, which funds the studies of domestic violence.
Patrick had a tumultuous childhood growing up “in a very poor and very violent household. I spent much of my childhood being afraid.”
Now, he is trying to make the world a better place for other children caught in similar situations.
20. Carrying the Olympic Torch back in 2012 was one of the most exciting things he’s ever done!
“Carrying the Olympic torch for the 2012 games was unbelievably exciting. I never would have thought that would happen to me,” he wrote on Insta.
