Sir Patrick Stewart has opened up about the future of his iconic Star Trek character Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as the much-loved spin-off series Picard returns for Series 3 this week.
The 82-year-old actor had previously said he would reprise his role as the captain of the USS Enterprise for one final run of the Amazon Prime hit.
Appearing on US chat shows this morning, Stewart had some bad news for fans.
When asked about what was in store for Picard, he replied: "Principally, I think the moment has come when I'm going to return to live theatre, the stage.
"I think there are a few Shakespeare roles I haven't played," he admitted during an appearance on CBS Mornings.
Patrick, who made a name as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1960s, said it's hard to know if this will be the last of Star Trek as the show has had such a big impact on so many lives.
"This is the thing about Star Trek, the nature of it, you can't say it's over. The impact of the show has been extraordinary," he said.
Elsewhere in the interview, the award-winning actor revealed he almost turned down the role and said his expectations of the show "weren't high"
"I'd never heard of Star Trek. I talked to a handful of people that I knew who said, 'You can't revive an iconic show like Star Trek. Look, you might make a little bit of money, meet some nice girls'."
Patrick reflected on his career in which he's played roles such as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men and the leading role in 2010 TV film Macbeth.
"I've been very blessed in my career with the roles that I've played but none has had the importance of Jean-Luc Picard," he shared.
The star added that he became closely linked to his Star Trek role, saying: "From season two, I really didn't know where one began and the other left off.
"It changed my life. There was nothing in my life that was not affected [by Star Trek]."
Patrick has played the role of Picard since 1987, but it wasn't until he started meeting fans that he realised just how successful the show was.
"When we began shooting the first season of Star Trek, we were being invited to conventions and science fiction conventions in particular.
"At one, backstage I said, 'Is anybody out there?' and they said, 'Well, yes'.
"I said, 'That's good just checking'. I walked out there and 2000 people rose and applauded," he said.
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