Mr. Stewart Loves His Trekkies

From the magazine issue dated Apr 7, 2008

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Patrick Stewart is opening on Broadway in "Macbeth." He spoke to Nicki Gostin.

Everyone says you're a lock for the Tony.
I get very nervous, because like most people in show business I'm very superstitious. I'm old enough to know you must never, ever predict anything.

"Macbeth" is supposed to be cursed. Do you have any lucky charms?
I have my little routines. I always put my left boot on before my right boot, and I have a little mantra that I go through right before I go onstage.

Lady Macbeth. Misunderstood?
Let's make no bones about it, they are both very bad. It is a codependent relationship.

I always thought Macbeth was a little henpecked.
My Lady Macbeth is less than half my age. That explains a lot.

Did you ever get sick of the jumpsuit on "Star Trek"?
Sick of it? I came to loathe it. We actually got rid of it after the second season thanks to my chiropractor, who said if they don't take you out of that costume we are going to slap a lawsuit on Paramount for the lasting damage done to your spine.

I wish I could have gotten into this earlier. I think there is little left to be said about the interview or interviewer. But I was a bit surprised that even some Trek fans believe that those who attend conventions dressed up as a klingon or other character are some who have "gone overboard" or are indeed a bit "weird". Apparently they are unaware that many of the conventions feature costume judging &/or contests. Most of
those participating are studying costume design, stage make up or other theatrical fields. I found that the conventions I attended were quite educational as well as fun. I never met any fan that was really "just weird". I did however, meet some NASA scientists there, as well as some other very intelligent professionals. I took my grandchildren to as many as I was able. They got an amazing education from attending. One time, there was a tent set up like an observatory. Children were taken into the tent and taught about the constellations, the Milky Way, etc. I attended a "class" on Klingon language. There, I learned that Klingon is an actually language. A highly ranking linguist was hired to create the language. He created a complete language that would have been quite appropriate for a society such as the Klingons.
My grandchildren met many of the actors and at a young age, understood that what they saw on TV and movies was not real but people were "pretending" to be those characters to tell a story. I wish there were time and space for me to relate some of the things we learned and some of the wonderful experiences we had.
The only other thing I'd like to mention is, my grandchildren had no chance of not being Trekkie/Trekkers. My mother was a Trekkie (before STNG ever was thought of). So were my siblings and myself. My daughter, of course, was a Trekkie, later a Trekker. She married one and they had 3 little Trekkers, who grew up to be BIG Trekkers. My oldest granddaughter married a long time Trekker. They have 4....guess what? Yep! little Trekkers. Count it; that???s 5 generations of Star Trek fans! With families like ours, Trek can never dwindle to nothing or die. We continue to procreate. As someone else commented, "Who will be the weird ones then?"

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Posted By: 5gentrek @ 05/29/2008 1:30:57 AM

I wish I could have gotten into this earlier. I think there is little left to be said about the interview or interviewer. But I was a bit surprised that even some Trek fans believe that those who attend conventions dressed up as a klingon or other character are some who have "gone overboard" or are indeed a bit "weird". Apparently they are unaware that many of the conventions feature costume judging &/or contests. Most of
those participating are studying costume design, stage make up or other theatrical fields. I found that the conventions I attended were quite educational as well as fun. I never met any fan that was really "just weird". I did however, meet some NASA scientists there, as well as some other very intelligent professionals. I took my grandchildren to as many as I was able. They got an amazing education from attending. One time, there was a tent set up like an observatory. Children were taken into the tent and taught about the constellations, the Milky Way, etc. I attended a "class" on Klingon language. There, I learned that Klingon is an actually language. A highly ranking linguist was hired to create the language. He created a complete language that would have been quite appropriate for a society such as the Klingons.
My grandchildren met many of the actors and at a young age, understood that what they saw on TV and movies was not real but people were "pretending" to be those characters to tell a story. I wish there were time and space for me to relate some of the things we learned and some of the wonderful experiences we had.
The only other thing I'd like to mention is, my grandchildren had no chance of not being Trekkie/Trekkers. My mother was a Trekkie (before STNG ever was thought of). So were my siblings and myself. My daughter, of course, was a Trekkie, later a Trekker. She married one and they had 3 little Trekkers, who grew up to be BIG Trekkers. My oldest granddaughter married a long time Trekker. They have 4....guess what? Yep! little Trekkers. Count it; that???s 5 generations of Star Trek fans! With families like ours, Trek can never dwindle to nothing or die. We continue to procreate. As someone else commented, "Who will be the weird ones then?"
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Posted By: imgwtw @ 05/23/2008 6:15:02 PM

One wonders how many Trek fans Ms Gostin actually knows...like most of the people I worked with at NASA and Boeing. All weird? Isn't that stereotyping of the worst kind? My coworkers were highly intelligent, involved with family and their community, and productive citizens. Come to think of it, I gues that IS considered weird these days!
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Posted By: ajcanfield @ 05/23/2008 4:53:23 PM

I agree that the tone of this article is beneath the talent, dignity and professionalism of Patrick Stewart.--- We are NOT "weird!" In suffering these slings and arrows, one can only face such ignorance and smile.--- Like a certain Englishman in New York...By the way... it's TREKKER!