Patrick Stewart Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions

Hello, I'm Patrick Stewart

and I am doing the WIRED Autocomplete Interview.

[upbeat music]

You know, you've seen it before so you know what it is.

[upbeat music]

Who is Patrick Stewart?

I am.

Who is Patrick Stewart married to?

My wife is called Sunny Ozell, O-Z-E double L

and she is a wonderful wife and a fabulous singer.

Who is Patrick Stewart's best friend?

The commonly known friendship that I have

is with Sir Ian McKellen whom I've worked with many times

and who, I'll be frank with you, I'm in love with,

but then so is my wife in love with him too

so that's all right.

Who Patrick Stewart's Yorkshire poem?

I think I know what they may be referring to.

I grew up in the North of England

in the West Riding of Yorkshire

which meant that I spoke with a Yorkshire accent,

but it wasn't just an accent.

It was actually dialect

which means that you're not just mispronouncing words,

you're using different words all together.

So I'll give you a little example.

I was sitting by Arsen last evening.

Me mother and father were off

'cause they'd heard that me ole nan Susannah.

Were laid up in bed with a cough.

West Riding dialect.

Who is Patrick Stewart, Jimmy Neutron?

Jimmy Neutron, I think Jimmy Neutron was a character

in a film that I played, but I don't know, give me another.

Is Patrick Stewart British?

Yes, I am British.

I'm actually an Englishman born in the county of Yorkshire.

Is Patrick Stewart vegan?

No I'm not.

I think I have an excellent diet with many

of the right kind of healthy things,

but no I'm not vegan.

Is Patrick Stewart left handed?

No, I wonder why you would ask that?

Is Patrick Stewart a nice guy?

I don't know, shall we put it to the vote.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

of us in this room.

How many say yes?

It's almost unanimous.

Seven of the eight said yes.

I'll talk to you later.

Is Patrick Stewart related to Martha Stewart?

[laughing] Oh that's lovely.

No, I am not related to Martha Stewart,

but I have met her several times and I adore her.

Is Patrick Stewart related to Kristen Stewart?

No, I'm not, but Kristen and I of course worked together.

We were both in the remake of Charlie's Angels

and I liked her very much and I've admired her work

for a long time.

How Patrick Stewart stays in shape.

Well that's a very timely question

because I have over my lifetime had trainers

and worked in gymnasiums.

When I was a teenager I played a lotta sports.

I did get into really serious trouble

with my athletics coach at the school I went to

because I was taking part in a rather important sports event

and I was a sprinter,

but that evening I had a performance on stage

and I realized if I went through to the final

I was going to miss my stage performance that night.

So I threw the race and I got into so much trouble.

How did Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen meet?

20th Century Fox invited us both to be

in a little hardly known series at all called X-Men.

We had adjoining trailers.

When you're in those kind of movies,

you spend more time sitting in your trailer

than you do in front of the camera.

So, Ian and I hung out together drinking tea

and later in the afternoon maybe something a little stronger

and we got to know one another

and the charm of it was

that we found we had so much in common.

And by the way, he married us, my wife and me,

he performed the ceremony.

Isn't that wonderful?

How did Patrick Stewart become a knight?

I don't know the answer to that question,

but that evening I did call my wife

and I said to her,

Oh hello, is that Lady Stewart on the line?

Because, of course, my wife has got a title also now

being married to a knight.

She went with me and my brother and sister-in-law

to the palace 10 years ago and I was dubbed

on both shoulders with a sword, yes,

that is actually how it happens.

The queen has a sword in her hand and she does this

and says, Arise Sir Patrick.

How old was Patrick Stewart 'Star Trek'?

47 when I was offered the part.

I think we were about 60

when I stopped being Jean-Luc Picard,

but of course, I'm back being the same character again now

so the show goes on.

How did Patrick Stewart and Seth MacFarlane meet?

[laughing] Seth is a huge Star Trek fan

and I had enjoyed his work for a long time

and then he asked me to play a role

in his animated series, American Dad,

and I play the deputy head of the CIA

and his name is Bullock and he's a wonderful character,

an appalling creature, but a wonderful character to play.

Was Patrick Stewart in 'Harry Potter'?

That's such an unkind question.

No, I was not in Harry Potter,

I wasn't even asked to be in Harry Potter

so that I could arrogantly turn it down,

but every other actor that I know

and that I'm close to was in Harry Potter

except Sir Ian McKellan.

That's what's made us famous,

that we weren't in Harry Potter.

Was Patrick Stewart knighted with a Klingon sword?

Her Majesty the Queen doesn't possess a Klingon sword,

well actually she might I suppose.

No, no there was no Klingon weapon involved

in any of that.

Was Patrick Stewart in 'Excalibur'?

Yes, well done.

It was a wonderful experience.

It was the first epic film that I've ever been in.

I played Leodegrance who was the father of Guinevere.

Next one.

What was Patrick Stewart's first movie?

Funny enough I was lying in bed this morning thinking

about this movie.

It was called Hennessy,

but it was a movie starring Rod Steiger

and I had a day and a halfs work on that film.

Very small role and in it I got shot, I got killed

which is why I was only a day and a half working

on that film.

What has Europe done for us?

Well in the last 40 years the European union

has brought economic success to our nation.

It has brought open borders where our European families

can move backwards and forwards

and it has created a peaceful Europe,

but now utterly misguided and self-interested politicians

have taken us out of Europe because they think

we should be on our own.

It's going to be calamitous.

I missed one out.

What awards did Patrick Stewart win?

I've got I think three Olivier Awards,

those are theater awards in England.

I think two Evening Standard Awards

which are also for theater work.

I've had a Tony nomination.

The more important question is what have I not won.

Academy Award.

I've been nominated for Emmy's,

I've never got an Emmy.

I've been nominated for Golden Globes

and never got a Golden Globe.

But I would really like a Tony and Academy Award,

anybody who's listening who happens to have any influence

in that direction, I'd be grateful.

What is Patrick Stewart known for?

Being a delightful, good-looking, charming,

witty, and generous companion.

[Patrick laughing]

What is Patrick Stewart up to?

Well I had a very exciting morning.

My wife's valentine present was delivered to us.

My wife loves ancient olive trees

and so that is what I have given my wife

as a 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.

Does Patrick Stewart knit?

Oh, yes, [laughing] I did, yes.

My mother was a knitter and she taught me how to knit.

Does Patrick Stewart have a dog?

Presently, no.

But about four years ago my wife and I began fostering,

something I passionately suggest

if you haven't got a dog you look into.

But, foster only from shelters.

And the shelter that I foster from,

which is called Wags and Walks here in Los Angeles,

it specializes in getting dogs from high-kill shelters.

Does Patrick Stewart drink Earl Gray tea?

Very occasionally.

I drink a tea called Yorkshire Gold every morning,

that's how my day starts.

Does Patrick Stewart own a vineyard?

Well yes of course, Jean-Luc Picard,

he inherited a vineyard from his family

and now he lives there in our new series.

Does Patrick Stewart sing country songs?

Well I do have a modest little album out,

recorded maybe three, four years ago,

Patrick Stewart Sings Cowboy Classics.

Well if you've made it this far,

first of all congratulations on having such patience

or good taste depending on how you look at it,

but I have had a good time which makes one of us,

doesn't it?

And I want to thank everybody for inviting me to do this.

The only other person I'd seen do this was Paul McCartney.

So I feel that I'm in very good company.