The 2007 role that almost destroyed Patrick Stewart: “It would end with me being fucked”

Patrick Stewart has revealed that a 2007 West End production of Macbeth pushed him to his physical and emotional limits, arriving at a moment when both his major franchises had stalled. Star Trek's film future was uncertain after Nemesis flopped in 2002, and his X-Men character Professor X had just been killed off in 2006's The Last Stand, prompting the actor to return to his Shakespearean roots with the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he had first performed in 1966.

Stewart said the year-long run, which continued in New York, left him "emotionally exhausted" after every show, admitting he would drink until he passed out and knew the ordeal would leave him "fucked" each night, yet felt compelled to carry on regardless. He described the experience as transformative, saying it opened up new creative possibilities and made him feel that "everything has to count" rather than simply being fun. Stewart has since returned to Star Trek with Picard on Paramount+ and is due to reunite with Ian McKellen in Avengers: Doomsday this December.