Gene Roddenberry passed away on October 24, 1991 at the age of 70 which, naturally, didn’t go unnoticed by the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast. He was a frequent presence on the show’s set, and without him, it just wasn’t the same. Patrick Stewart shared as much in his book “Making It So: A Memoir,” recalling missing Roddenberry despite their friction. “I found myself missing his presence. For all his wariness of me, he had created the magnificent ‘Star Trek’ universe of which I was now privileged to be a part, and his guiding hand offered me reassurance,” he wrote.
Continuing, Stewart revealed that he felt a bit sorry for Roddenberry and how everything had gone down regarding the Captain Picard role. “I felt sorry for Gene where I was concerned. Jean-Luc Picard was his creation, and he had been pressured to cast someone who didn’t jibe with his vision of the character.” At the same time, Stewart wished that Roddenberry could’ve lived to see his take on Picard become such a hit and fully develop, even if it wasn’t his exact vision come to life: “I do wish that Gene had lived long enough to see how ‘Star Trek’ and Picard himself have continued to deepen and grow.”
While they may not have always seen eye-to-eye, there’s no denying that both Stewart and Roddenberry are absolute “Star Trek” legends.
