Patrick Stewart (1) (1940–)

Comprehensive autobiography of this amazing actor, from his poverty in childhood, to his marital breakdown and success, with a strong focus on theatrical acting - from Am-Dram, theatre school, and Ruth Wynn Owen teaching him to loose his Yorkshire accent, onto so much more. I thought Ian McKellen would feature strongly in this book, but surprised Brian Blessed featured much more in Stewart's Life. Also surprised by Patrick's revelations about his supernatural encounters. Patrick's struggles with recognition as an actor came off strongly - often being second choice, or even disliked (as in David Lynch casting him in Dune), and yet he persevered and glad he was cast as captain of the Enterprise, even if his main love is the stage. (Some of his childhood reminded me of Roald Dahl's Love From Boy book; something about nametags sewn into clothing being a practice of the rich families, or perhaps that was Alan Bennet?) Recommended read for any aspiring actors.… (more)

Patrick Stewart describes growing up poor in Mirfield in the north of England, how he became an actor, and the highs and lows of his career from British theater to Star Trek and beyond.

I really enjoyed reading this memoir. Stewart did not utilize a ghostwriter, and the style is like he's sitting there telling you about his life, loosely chronological, but sometimes going on a bit of a (delightful) related tangent about something that happened later. He spends a fair amount of time on his childhood and training in acting prior to joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, and I found it fascinating to read about what he learned and what his process was for certain roles. Stewart has a way of telling you stories where, yes, he meets all sorts of famous people, but usually there's some sort of funny, self-deprecating anecdote that I found delightful. I am most familiar with his work in X-Men and A Christmas Carol, though of course I know he was Jean-Luc Picard. It's just that my family didn't really watch The Next Generation, so I've only seen random episodes 30-plus years ago when my babysitters were watching it. He clearly expects that his readers will be familiar with his Star Trek work, and has observations to make about specific episodes, rife with spoilers. Whether talking about that or his theater work, he's generous to his fellow actors. He's reflective, and talks about both what he's proud of and what he regrets. I ended the book feeling like I'd gotten to know and appreciate someone whose work I've enjoyed.… (more)