Star Trek: Whoopi Goldberg Expresses Interest in Returning for Picard Series

Patrick Stewart is returning to his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard for a new Star Trek series and one of his old friends from Star Trek: The Next Generation wants in.

Whoopi Goldberg played Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the host of the Enterprise-D's Ten Forward lounge and a wise friend and confidant to Capt. Picard. Now that Stewart is returning as Picard, Goldberg isn't opposed to reprising her role as Guinan alongside him.

Goldberg is the second guest on the new podcast from David Tennant, the former star of Doctor Who. Tennant brought up the idea of her returning for the new Picard series. Goldberg says she hasn't been asked, but she's open to the idea.

Here's the exchange:

"Tennant: You could presumably go back to Star Trek. Patrick Stewart is back at it.

Goldberg: I know, but, you know, they have not asked me.

Tennant: You need to ask them again. They would probably think you are kidding.

Goldberg: Well, I don't know. Maybe. I will. I'll put it out there.

Tennant: Well, this could be it. We are putting it out there.

Goldberg: All right. We are putting it out there right now."

Goldberg shouldn't feel bad about."

Goldberg isn't the only Star Trek: The Next Generation alum who hasn't been asked to return for the new Picard series. According to various interviews and panel appearance, none of the core cast from The Next Generation has been asked to return.

"The feeling is we would love to be part of it," former Next Generation star Jonathan Frakes said in a recent interview. "But the feeling is also that it's Patrick's show. [Laughs.] Having said that, I can't imagine a world where there's no reference to what happened to the rest of the Next Generation cast. Patrick isn't playing Capt. Jean-Luc Picard this time, he's done with [that phase of his career in] Starfleet in this show. That's about the only thing I do know about the show. Patrick and I had a steak dinner a couple of weeks ago and this man, who I've known for 31 years now, is so excited about this show he's like a little kid. It's fabulous! He's thrilled and excited to be invited into the writer's room and he's a producer on the show and he's part of the development of the story arc. It's terrific. I mean he is a guy who is fully engaged."

Would you like to see Whoopi Goldberg return as Guinan in Star Trek's new Picard series? Let us know in the comments!

The new Picard series will debut on CBS All Access in late 2019.