Patrick Stewart Talks About Never Having Heard of X-MEN When He Was Offered the Role of Professor X
Patrick Stewart has had a long and prolific career as an actor, but his two most well-known and beloved roles have undoubtedly been Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise, and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies. But the actor was actually unfamiliar with Professor X and the entire X-Men comic universe when he was pitched the opportunity by the film’s director.
In his new autobiography Making It So: A Memoir (via /Film), Stewart recalls being asked to attend a meeting where he was offered the role of a character he bore resemblance to. Stewart recalls he was walking out of his work on the 1997 film Conspiracy Theory when an aide handed him an envelope with producer Lauren Donner's name on it. He was to visit her in her office for a tantalizing new offer. Donner, it seems, had a portrait of Professor X, drawn to look like Stewart, mocked up in her office. Stewart asked Donner what it was, and she announced proudly — seemingly trying to get Stewart excited — that it was Stewart in six months, as he would be playing the powerful psychic mutant, Charles Xavier. Stewart's reaction was unexpected, as he said, "Who on earth is that, Lauren?" She explained that he was the leader of the X-Men. Stewart was still lost. He wrote:
"This conversation made about as much sense to me as the one I'd had with Steve Dontanville all those years ago in which he asked me why Gene Roddenberry wanted to meet me. Charles Xavier? The X-Men? I hadn't a bloody clue what was going on.”
Eventually, it all came out:
"Lauren patiently explained that 'X-Men' was to be a big-budget film based on a Marvel Comics superhero team. Charles Xavier was the creation of comic book legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. He is a telepath and paraplegic who exists in a world where mutants represent the next phase in human evolution, but face discrimination and bigotry because of their superhuman powers. He oversees an academy called the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters and a strike force of do-gooder fellow mutants called the X-Men. He is the guy who puts the X in X-Men."
Patrick Stewart was intrigued by the fact that Bryan Singer — fresh off The Usual Suspects and not yet ousted for sexual assault allegations — would be directing, but wasn't as interested in the superhero aspect of the film. He instinctually wanted to turn down the role, writing:
"My thoughts at the time? No. No more fantasy. No more sci-fi. No more telepaths. No more actors zipped into formfitting costumes. I'm done with all that. Thanks for thinking of me, but — no, absolutely not."
It was Singer who ultimately convinced Stewart. The two met for lunch, and Stewart expressed all the reasons he didn't want the role. Not only was it another fantasy story, but he felt that Professor X and Captain Picard were too similar. Singer argued the opposite. Stewart wrote:
"Bryan passionately argued that there were no major similarities between Jean-Luc Picard and Charles Xavier, or between 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men.' One was a legacy sci-fi franchise and the other part of the burgeoning industry of big-budget comic book adaptations — totally different in style and content. He said he had studied the work I had done over the past ten years, and 'X-Men' related to none of it. With bravado, Bryan said this was going to be totally new territory for me, and the whole world would see my work."
Stewart admits that this won him over. In Singer's mind, the only similarity between Captain Picard and Professor X was the shape of their head. The actor called Donner the following day and contracts were drawn up, and the rest is history. I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. What’s your favorite movie featuring Stewart in the role of Professor X?