Star Trek: Picard’s Sir Patrick Stewart Is Writing a Memoir

Star Trek icon Sir Patrick Stewart is getting ready to embark on a new voyage – into his own life! Patrick Stewart has announced that he’s working on a memoir in his lockdown time during the coronavirus pandemic – a story that will cover his younger years, career highlights with Star Trek, stage performance, and animated work (American Dad!), and the strange resurgence of his life and career during his elder years. Simon and Schuster subsidiary Gallery Books made the official announcement about the project today, calling it a “revealing and heartwarming look” into Patrick Stewart’s life. However, that happy tagline belies some of the dark material Stewart will cover…

As Patrick Stewart himself states (via AP), his untitled memoir will peer into some of the darker sides of his life, including “his childhood in Yorkshire, England, ​marked by poverty and domestic violence; as well as his lifelong political advocacy and ongoing charity work.” Stewart has spoken in the past about his complicated relationship with an abusive father, but getting first-hand, in-depth, experiences like that from Stewart will be a major milestone for his many fans.

The actor pointed to the current climate (or lack thereof) in Hollywood during the coronavirus pandemic as one big reason for him finally taking the time to write a story from his own life:

“The idea of writing a memoir based on my life and career has been in my mind for several years, but always the demands of work have pushed it into the background,” Stewart said in a statement. “Today there are no demands, nor is there a prediction when there might be. ” am caught in the middle of shooting a new series, ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ and I passionately want to see it through, but in the meantime … what? Well, I have a beautiful study in our house in Los Angeles, sunny and peaceful. I am 80 in a little over two weeks’ time. I have just treated myself to a gorgeous office chair. And … I have the time. But most important, I am loving what I am doing, even though I never thought I would or could.”

Patrick Stewart recently did some fictional life reflection in season 1 of Star Trek: Picard, where he returned as the iconic Jean-Luc Picard. Season 1 saw Jean-Luc come out of literal and figurative retirement to help bring back hope and wonder to a galaxy that had grown dark and cynical since the era of Star Trek: TNG. The season’s big arch saw Picard track down and save Commander Data’s “daughter” Soji, as well as her entire clan of evolved synthetics. SPOILERS – That noble mission brought Picard into a skirmish with a Romulan Anti-Tech cult, and the final battle only aggravated a brain condition that ultimately killed Picard. Luckily, Soji’s people (including Dr. Noonian Soong biological son) use a revolutionary new neural device to download Picard’s mind and essence into a new synthetic body.

Fans now can’t wait to see Star Trek: Picard season 2 pick up that baton. No word on when Patrick Stewart’s memoir could be released.

Star Trek: Picard season 2 is currently in development. Star Trek: Discovery season 3 will stream on CBS All Access in 2020.