Marina Sirtis, best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi, has shared intimate reflections on her time working alongside Sir Patrick Stewart on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Despite the intimidating reputation Stewart brought from his days at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sirtis and her younger co-stars made a concerted effort to encourage a more relaxed atmosphere on set. Sirtis recalls that friends who had previously worked with Stewart had warned her not to expect him to be playful or to tolerate "mucking about."
However, the cast felt that Stewart’s stiff, traditional demeanor—typical of a Yorkshireman of his generation—could be softened. Sirtis notes that while Stewart initially insisted they were not there to have fun, the younger cast members succeeded in helping him break out of his shell. Stewart himself later acknowledged that the cast had helped him find a level of freedom he had never experienced in his career. In return, the cast gained immense knowledge from his professionalism and talent, with Sirtis crediting him for bringing the gravitas that transformed Star Trek from a niche show into a serious, deep narrative.
Sirtis highlights Stewart's humility, noting that he never allowed his fame to change him. She recalls a moment early in their collaboration when the cast taped a newspaper review calling him an "unknown Shakespearean actor" to his trailer door; instead of being offended, Stewart left it up for years, appreciating the joke. The two shared a bond rooted in their similar, humble backgrounds, both having experienced childhood trauma, even if they rarely discussed the details explicitly.
Their professional partnership extended to mutual support on screen. During one Star Trek film, Stewart requested that the writers replace Brent Spiner’s character, Data, with Sirtis’s character in a pivotal scene involving a fire, explaining that he needed to look into her eyes to reach the necessary emotional depth. This bond lasted long after the show ended. When Sirtis lost her husband a month before the Covid-19 pandemic, Stewart was one of the few people who reached out, inviting her for socially distanced lunches to support her through her grief.
Beyond the screen, their shared love for football created a lasting legacy. In 2018, when Tottenham played Huddersfield, the two actors participated in interviews that were officially dubbed the "Star Trek derby" in the match day programme. Reflecting on their final years, Sirtis expresses deep sadness that she did not get to say a final goodbye to her friend, who passed away recently, but remains grateful for their enduring connection.
Before meeting Patrick I was just a jobbing actor who did a bit of telly. I’d grown up dirt poor and had a difficult childhood, so we came from very similar backgrounds. I kept my cockney accent because I wanted people to know where I came from. Patrick was the same – not through his voice, but through his demeanour and actions. He was down to earth, a regular bloke. The fact that he supported Huddersfield Town shows you who he is – he didn’t go for Leeds or one of the glamour clubs.
It was the absolute privilege of my life and my career to work with him. We were very, very close and stayed in touch right to the end, even though it became difficult to speak to him on the phone because of his health. He went quickly in the end and it makes me very sad that I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. To say: “Thank you Patrick. Thanks for everything, mate.”
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