Captain Jean-Luc Picard became such an iconic character thanks to the phenomenal performance of Sir Patrick Stewart.

Star Trek: The Next Generation showrunner Michael Piller shared what it felt like saying goodbye to Patrick Stewart and the character of Captain Jean-Luc Picard when the show ended. Since his introduction in the premiere episode of TNG, Captain Picard has become one of the franchise’s most beloved characters. Even with all of the Star Trek shows that have aired since TNG, many still consider Picard to be Star Trek’s best captain. But Picard would not exist without Patrick Stewart, and it’s Stewart’s performance that has made Picard such an iconic and enduring character.

Although Picard was the Captain of the USS Enterprise-D, and indeed Patrick Stewart often stole the show, it was all of TNG’s characters together that ensured the show’s success. The cast of Star Trek The Next Generation grew close while filming and their friendship often shines through, particularly in TNG’s series finale, “All Good Things….” When the senior officers of the Enterprise sit down for a game of poker, it feels like it could just as easily be the actors themselves. In the Star Trek oral history, The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, the late Michael Piller discusses filming the finale and what it was like bidding farewell to Patrick Stewart and Captain Picard. Read his full quote below:

The day I went down to say goodbye to Patrick on the stage, I felt a loss. It’s the loss I felt from missing a character that I’ve really become attached to. I think Picard is a remarkable character, and Patrick Stewart made him that way. I’m [singling] out Patrick, because he is a special talent. It was five years of surprises and delights, and you can’t imagine how rare it is in television to have the pleasure of working with talents like these people. So I really felt sad the last day when they were shooting the last shot, because it was the perfect teaming of writers and performers where we were able to say something through television in an entertaining fashion.

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Patrick Stewart Brought New Layers To Jean-Luc Picard In Star Trek: Picard

Picard became an even more complete character.

While Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s classic finale, “All Good Things…” may have been the end of an era, it wasn’t the end of Jean-Luc Picard and his Enterprise crew. Patrick Stewart would get to embrace his inner action hero for the TNG movies, particularly Star Trek: First Contact, but the films didn’t truly dive into what makes Picard Picard. Star Trek: Picard took on this task, delving into the childhood backstory of one of Star Trek’s most iconic captains. Patrick Stewart returned to play an older version of Jean-Luc, who had retired from Starfleet and decided to live out the rest of his days on his family’s vineyard. Despite his retirement, Picard finds himself caught up in another adventure that forces him to confront his past.

Throughout Star Trek: Picard seasons 1 and 2, Jean-Luc reckons with his past trauma, both from his childhood and from his experiences with the Borg. Patrick Stewart is as phenomenal as ever, bringing the same combination of charm and gravitas to now-Admiral Picard. But this Jean-Luc has had years to dwell on his past and Picard is not the same man he was. Jean-Luc’s journey culminates in Star Trek: Picard season 3, as he reconnects with his old friends from the Enterprise-D and discovers a son he didn’t know he had. Picard season 3 gives the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation another perfect finale, and adds new depth to the character of Jean-Luc Picard.