Sir Patrick Stewart’s Variety cover shoot turns heads

Sir Patrick Stewart in Variety. Image Marco Grob.

Sir Patrick Stewart has set the internet ablaze with his latest profile in Variety. The 79-year-old actor landed a spot on the magazine’s cover, talking about his upcoming role in Star Trek: Picard, as well as his early days as an actor, and what he’s been up to since Star Trek: The Next Generation ended.

But it appears to have been the photo shoot that captured many Star Trek fans’ eyes. Photographer Marco Grob captured the actor in a series of portraits for the piece; portraits you’d be forgiven for expecting to star a young up-and-coming heartthrob, rather than an aging Shakespearean actor. The cover shot featured Stewart in a striking red double-breasted suit, shot from a low angle against a bright white tiled ceiling. Another photo shows him in a dark, plaid suit under deep red lighting, with dark sunglasses. Still another features Stewart in black and white tweed over a black turtleneck looking every bit as dignified as he did as Jean-Luc Picard more than 20 years ago.

It wasn’t all style over substance, though, as the article covered good ground, including a little of what to expect from Star Trek: Picard. “I think what we’re trying to say is important,” Stewart said. “The world of ‘Next Generation’ doesn’t exist anymore. It’s different. Nothing is really safe. Nothing is really secure.”

Stewart’s issue of Variety is available on newsstands now.

Variety cover. Image Marco Grob.