Chosen One of the Day: Patrick Stewart’s anger at Harry Potter

Promoting his critically acclaimed return to to the Star Trek universe in Picard, the nerdverse’s grandpa Patrick Stewart took to WIRED’s YouTube channel to answer questions the internet was Googling about him (what is 2020, even). 

There are a series of questions. "Is Patrick Stewart British?" "How old was Patrick Stewart Star Trek?" "Patrick Steward what has Europe done for us?" (That last one is a doozy but I get it. I, too, turn to old, well-spoken Englishmen in my time of need. 

But the question and answer we want to discuss today is “Was Patrick Stewart in Harry Potter?” 

“That’s such an unkind question,” he starts off. 

Credit: WIRED

Photo: WIRED

I smell some draaaaama. 

“No,” he bites out. “I was not in Harry Potter." His voice rises, “I wasn’t even asked to be in Harry Potter so I could arrogantly turn it down!!!” (Seriously, a minimum of three exclamation points here, it may be more!) 

“Every other actor that I know and that I’m close to was in Harry Potter.” And then, in a mercurial shift, he grins so wide here that it breaks his face in two. His eyes crinkle. He’s grandpa.

Credit: WIRED 

Photo: WIRED

“Except,” he continues, “Sir Ian McKellen.”