Though Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are now known for their close friendship and long careers in Hollywood, they once disagreed about a major career decision. In the late 1980s, Stewart strongly believed in the importance of traditional stage acting and found it difficult to support his colleagues who were starting to work in television.
Although he had some doubts, Patrick Stewart ultimately agreed to star in Star Trek: The Next Generation, despite not fully realizing how popular and important the show already was. He was unsure about taking the role and sought advice from Ian McKellen, whose opinion he greatly valued.
It’s no surprise that McKellen strongly disagreed with Stewart’s decision, warning him that taking a role in a science fiction show could damage his reputation as a respected actor. He encouraged Stewart to continue working in theater, but Stewart ultimately felt the chance to star in an American TV series was too good to refuse.
Stewart thought about their disagreement and realized he almost always takes McKellen’s advice. However, he believed he’d return to the stage when the time was right. He also felt the opportunity to play Captain Jean-Luc Picard was a unique one he couldn’t risk losing, so he accepted the role.
Years later, McKellen confessed he was wrong about his first impression, something Stewart happily points out whenever he can. The show’s popularity made Stewart a worldwide star and ultimately opened doors for McKellen to appear in big-budget films as well.
Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen went on to become central figures in the X-Men movies, and their on-screen connection as Professor X and Magneto is now a defining part of modern superhero films. Stewart has said that McKellen taught him important lessons about how to live a truly good, giving, and caring life, both on and off camera.
Both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are getting ready to team up again for a highly anticipated Marvel movie. Marvel Studios has confirmed they’ll be reprising their famous roles as Professor X and Magneto in Avengers: Doomsday, set to hit theaters on December 18th.
Directed by the Russo brothers, the movie boasts a large cast with Robert Downey Jr. playing the villain Doctor Doom and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Filming finished up around late 2025 at Pinewood Studios, and both experienced actors are central to the story, which involves multiple universes.
Sir Ian McKellen remains a strong supporter of smaller theaters, recently performing a series of shows at the Richmond Theatre to benefit the Orange Tree Theatre. There’s also talk that he might reprise his role as Gandalf in the new movie, The Hunt for Gollum, which is scheduled to start filming later this year.
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2026-03-04 23:45