Patrick Stewart Played Dozens Of Roles In A Classic Christmas Story

The late Sir Patrick Stewart played many, many roles in his long career, most famously starring as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and as Professor X in multiple "X-Men" feature films. Some of the actor's more attentive fans, however, might know that one of Stewart's more impressive acting jobs was playing around 40 roles, all in a single night, for a one-man version of "A Christmas Carol" that he personally devised back in 1988. Stewart adapted the script of Charles Dickens' celebrated holiday classic himself, giving himself all of the roles, and used the play to keep his acting chops sharp throughout his tenure on "Next Generation." 

The Independent caught up with Stewart in 1993 and ran a profile on the actor's production of "A Christmas Carol," and he specifically stated that his play was a deliberate attempt to keep his craft diverse. "I don't want Picard to become an albatross around my neck," he said. The Independent noted that "A Christmas Carol" was actually something of a lifeline for the actor, keeping him connected to valued theater work while he was in the middle of a thriving TV show. 

The origin of Stewart's interest in "A Christmas Carol" dates back to 1985, when the actor experienced a delayed call time while working on the movie "Lady Jane." Bored, he reached for the nearest book and found an old copy of Dickens' classic at hand. He loved the novella, and hastily abridged it for an upcoming live reading at a local church. 

When "Next Generation" was in full swing just a few years later, Stewart feared his connection to the theater would be lost. A one-man version of "A Christmas Carol," though, proved to be the salve he needed. 

Patrick Stewart initially didn't expect for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to be as large a time commitment as it turned out to be. Indeed, the series became incredibly popular, which caused some consternation in Stewart's mind over the loss of theater work. He said: 

"I'd thought I could just sign up for one year to see how I liked it, but they wanted me for six years. Once I'd realized that the show was proving successful and was not going to go away, I saw that my theatrical life might be over for the foreseeable future, and that the best thing I could do was to develop a one-man show that wouldn't tie me to other people's availability."

Stewart kept coming back to the stage with "A Christmas Carol" many times throughout his career. One can find Playbills from 1994 and from 2001 when he performed the play in the United States. He most recently did the play for charity in 2019. "A Christmas Carol" was clearly a project he was fond of, and if he had the script memorized, required no sets or costumes, and didn't have to audition any other actors, "A Christmas Carol" was something he could do whenever the whim struck. 

It was likely the one-man version of "A Christmas Carol" that landed Patrick Stewart the job in the 1999 TNT TV movie version of "A Christmas Carol." That movie, however, featured a full cast of actors, with Stewart only playing Ebenezer Scrooge.

The 1999 version of "A Christmas Carol" features a pretty dynamite cast, even if Stewart was technically the only one we needed. Alongside Stewart's Scrooge, Richard E. Grant plays Bob Cratchit. The Ghost of Christmas Past was played by the inimitable Joel Grey, and one will want to keep their eyes peeled for recognizable actors like Ian McNeice, Dominic West, and Laura Fraser. The teleplay was written by Peter Barnes, the author of "The Ruling Class," and directed by experienced theater director David Jones.

The 1999 production was generally well-received. Variety's review stated that Stewart's performance as Scrooge was "graceful," and that there were "many nifty strokes here that elevate the story above most interpretations." The writer noted that Stewart's experience playing multiple roles on stage left the actor well-prepared for a production like this. The piece reads: 

"Stewart as Scrooge is such a perfect piece of casting that it will be hard to imagine anyone else as the sour ol' tightwad in years to come. For a decade, the thesp has toured with 'Carol' across the country, and the experience shows; his initial inflections are full of genuine antipathy, and his transformation to a goodhearted citizen is entirely believable. With a robust eloquence, he speaks Barnes' words with so much polish that even his bitterness is delightful." 

/Film ranked Stewart's Scrooge as one of his best non-"Star Trek" roles. He's very good. 

Most of the world may know Stewart as Captain Picard or Professor X, but there is a segment of the theatrical community that will always hold him dear as Ebenezer Scrooge. It's another artistic triumph from a career full of them. Hollywood is paying vocal tribute to the man, and he will be deeply missed.