Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart says bosses wanted Jean-Luc Picard to wear a WIG

STAR Trek legend Sir Patrick Stewart has revealed he was originally going to play Captain Jean-Luc Picard in a wig.

The 79-year-old actor, who stars in upcoming series Star Trek: Picard, spoke on This Morning today about how at one point he performed with a hairpiece.

Co-host Phillip Schofield asked him: "You nearly wore a wig?"

Patrick replied: "My final audition was done wearing a hairpiece, yes."

Referring to Star Trek's William Shatner, who played the Starship Enterprise's Captain Kirk, he added: "The studio wanted to see what I would look like if I looked like Bill Shatner."

Shocked, Phillip replied: "What a mistake that would have been. The way Picard looks is iconic."

Looking unconvinced, Patrick chuckled: "You don't see him in the mirror when he gets up - especially this morning. He's not so iconic then."

The actor added that his friend Ian McKellen warned him not to appear in Star Trek, saying it would "ruin" his career in the theatre.

Patrick told Phillip and Holly Willoughby: "He and I were very naive about Hollywood series.

"I didn't realise I was signing on for six years. Everyone said we'd be lucky to make it through the first season."

The star told The Sun Online last night that show bosses convinced him to breathe new life into Jean-Luc Picard against all odds.

He explained: "I know I’m on the record as having said: ‘No, no more Star Trek.

"'I said goodbye to that, I’m proud of everything we did but I’m done with it.'"

He continued: “Then [the producers] began talking to me about Star Trek in a way that I never imagined it."

“As I reflected I began to realise it was something that I had to do. What a smart decision that was. After wrapping filming I was happy with what we’d done.”

Patrick appeared at the London premiere of Star Trek: Picard in Leicester Square last night, where he and old pal Sir Ian McKellen shared a kiss.

The pair were larking about in front of the camera, with Gandalf star Ian getting down on one knee beside his friend at one point.