Picard's actions were choices made in the writing, but Stewart's strengths as a performer gave it gravitas, made it believable and made it resist cynicism. He gave the writing legs.

I'm sure those writers were quite content writing for an actor of that calibre. Imagine putting words to the page, knowing Patrick Stewart will take them out into the world and surely stick the landing.

What a great combination.

We know Stewart was not a great writer, of course. When he had opportunities to take the reigns of the Picard character creativitely he usually asked for more action, and the results were a bit more conventional and boring. The combination was certainly also needed for the magic.

I always liked this video from an acting workshop where Suchet and Stewart deliver contrasting performances of Shylock and discuss their choices at length:

https://youtu.be/-35G7DOFrOo

https://youtu.be/FU_zqBIITDM

A person's work is a valid part of their life, and for fans of a celebrity probably the only part they really have the ability to speak about other than they heard he was a nice guy. The way a work of fiction impacts your life is a valid reason to remember an actor fondly I think. I also think if a hotdog vendor died it would be ok to talk about how fucking good the hotdogs he made were and how much it meant to you to stop to get one after work or whatever.

Sure, but it's hard to imagine, say, Robin Williams or Tom Hanks bringing the same energy to the role. I also have to imagine that after the first season, the loop closed a bit, and the writers started writing JLP with Patrick Stewart in mind. Few people are as synonymous with a role as Patrick Stewart with JLP.

In your analogy, it is more like you know a great hot dog place in Chicago that has been around for decades, then the original owner dies, his kids take over, and it is bought out by private equity. The hot dog obit would be as much for the original creator as the hot dog itself.

I'm going to agree with you, and I too have been sparing a thankful thought or two for the people that made the show what it was. The producers, writers, directors all had a hand in shaping that interpretation of the future (a future that day by day seems less and less likely).

If anything I'd say it's 50/50

I'm sure Stewart would suggest that you should watch more theater.

Then you'll see how much different choices made by the actor can transform a script.

Regardless of how accurate the analogy to 7-11 hotdogs is, I just want to say your comment made me smile.

He didn't write the character, but he delivered it. The delivery is just as much a part of Picard as the writing.

I would say without Patrick Stewart's performance, the show would have been a disaster. He really carried the early seasons of the show, even when the writing was quite poor.

That’s ridiculous. The guy who puts the hot dogs on the rollers has essentially zero influence on the taste.

It’s more like a famous chef dying and lots of people praising his food, and you’re here saying all credit should go to the farmers and the chef just assembled the stuff.

Every celebrity death thread is more or less the same in that regard. Discussion is far more about nostalgia for media and characters than the actual person.

Yeah, I find that weird too. He was a good actor, but he did not made Picard. Those were not his words, values, invention

Just like, te actor who played Walter White was not a psycho. Those were not his words, values, invention.

In both cases, they played it.