THE STAGE AND SCREEN.

HE'S NOW REPRISING ONE OF HIS MOST ICONIC ROLES, JEAN-LUC

PICARD IN "STAR TREK: PICARD."

>> LIEUTENANT COMMANDER OPERATIONS ON THE "ENTERPRISE"

DID YOU EVER LOSE FAITH IN HIM?

>> NEVER.

>> WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU LOST FACE IN, ADMIRAL?

YOU'VE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT YOUR DEPARTURE FROM STARFLEET.

DIDN'T YOU IN FACT RESIGN YOUR COMMISSION IN PROTEST?

TELL US THAT ONE.

WHY DID YOU REALLY QUIT STARFLEET?

>> BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER STARFLEET.

>> I'M SORRY?

>> BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER STARFLEET!

>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME, PATRICK STEWART!

♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )

♪ ♪ ♪ ( APPLAUSE )

( APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪

>> THANK YOU!

>> Stephen: ISN'T THAT NICE?

SO LOVELY TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> IT'S SO GOOD TO BE BACK.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE LOOKING AS DASHING AS EVER.

>> REALLY?

>> Stephen: YES!

( CHEERS ).

>> WOW.

ISN'T THAT NICE?

WHAT FORM DOES THE "DASH" TAKE?

I MEAN, I DON'T DO WHAT YOU DO.

HOW DO YOU DO THAT RUNNING?

>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU RUN?

>> HOW DO YOU DO IT?

>> Stephen: I'VE HAD MY KNEES REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES.

I'M MORE MACHINE THAN MAN AT THIS POINT.

>> HEY, YOU SHOULD BE ON OUR SHOW GLI WOULD LOVE-- OH, DO YOU

KNOW HOW MUCH I WOULD LOVE TO BE IN YOUR SHOW!

>> REALLY.

>> Stephen: DO NOT START SOMETHING YOU CAN'T FINISH,

JEAN-LUC.

COME ON!

>> LET'S HAVE A LITTLE TINY AUDITION, THEN.

WHAT ABOUT YOU SAY, "MAKE IT SO!"

>> Stephen: NUMBER ONE, MAKE IT SO!

>> OH, HEY!

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THAT'S AMAZING!

I MEAN...

>> Stephen: THE LAST TIME-- THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED

JEAN-LUC PICARD WAS IN 2002 "STAR TREK: NEMESIS."

>> CORRECT GLI HAVE TO IMAGINE LAST 18 YEARS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

TUCKING ON YOU TO GET YOU TO PLAY JEAN-LUC MANY TIMES.

WHY THIS TIME AND NOT BEFORE IN THE LAST 18 YEARS?

>> CORRECT.

WHEN I OPENED THE INVITATION, THE DETAILS THAT CAME THROUGH MY

AGENT -- >> Stephen: YOU GOT AN

INVITATION LIKE, "PLEASE COME TO A CELEBRATION OF YOU ACCEPTING

THIS PART"?

>> "WE WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT AN

IDEA WE HAD, BRINGING BACK JEAN-LUC."

AND THAT WAS MICHAEL CHABON, AKIVA GOLDSON, KIRSTEN BEYER.

AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF WRITING TALENT, NOT JUST

TELEVISION BUT NOVELS.

MICHAEL GOT A PULITZER PRIZE.

AND I WAS INTRIGUED.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT OFTEN YOU GET INVITATIONS FROM FOUR GUYS LIKE

THAT.

THREE GUYS AND A GAL.

>> Stephen: RIGHT, YEAH.

>> SORRY, SORRY.

I MEAN NO OFFENSE.

>> Stephen: WELL, THE SHOW OPENS WITH-- I WON'T SAY WHAT

EXACTLY IT OPENS WITH.

BUT VERY EARLY ON WE SEE PICARD, THE CAPTAIN, ON A FRENCH

VINEYARD, WHICH IS WHERE HE LIVES NOW, WITH HIS COMPANION,

NUMBER ONE, WHO IS PICTURED RIGHT HERE IS A... A PIT BULL

RIGHT THERE.

WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO MAKE NUMBER ONE A PIT BULL TERRIER?

( APPLAUSE ) >> I-- FIRST OF ALL, I DID

SUGGEST THAT WHEN I WAS SEEN IN THE VINEYARD, I'M ALONE, BUT IT

WOULD BE GREAT IF I HAD A DOG WITH ME.

BECAUSE A MAN ALONE WITH A DOG, THAT SETS UP CERTAIN MEMORY

DEPENDENCIES, I THINK.

>> Stephen: SURE.

>> WAS THAT FUNNY?

>> Stephen: A MAN ALONE JUST LOOKS LIKE A DRIFTER.

>> AND THEY AGREED.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.

AND I SAID, "HOWEVER, I NEED ONE BREED OF DOG.

IT MUST BE A PIT BULL.

AND I WANT TO TRY AND FIND THE MOST IMPRESSIVE-LOOKING PIT BULL

THAT'S IN HOLLYWOOD."

>> Stephen: HE'S AN INCREDIBLE DOG.

YOU'VE DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME TO SUPPORTING THE IMAGE OF PIT

BULLS, REHABILITATING THEM IN PEOPLE'S MINDS.

WHY IS THAT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> WELL, WE BEGAN FOSTER ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO BECAUSE, YOU

KNOW, WE TRAVEL SO MUCH AND MOVE ABOUT, BUT WITHIN 36 HOURS OF

FOSTER GINGER, WHO IS NOW AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR ON

SOCIAL MEDIA, WE KNEW WE HAD FOUND THE DOG FOR LIFE, FOR THE

REST OF MY LIFE, CERTAINLY.

AND THEN WE DISCOVERED WE COULDN'T TAKE HIM TO ENGLAND

BECAUSE HE'S A BANNED BREET BROOED.

THEY CALL IT "BREED-SPECIFIC LEGISLATION."

THERE ARE FOUR BREEDS BANNED, AND ONE OF THEM IS PIT BULLS,

BECAUSE THEY'RE DANGEROUS DOGS.

NOW, THEY'RE NOT DANGEROUS DOGS.

ALL PIT YOU BULLS WANT TO DO IS MAKE THEIR OWNERS HAPPY, PLEASE

THEM.

BUT IF THAT MEANS-- ( APPLAUSE ).

>> THANK YOU.

IF THAT MEANS FIGHTING OTHER DOGS BECAUSE IT MAKES YOUR

MASTER HAPPY, YES, YOU'LL DO IT BECAUSE YOU'RE PLEASING THE GUY

WHO LOOKS AFTER YOU.

THAT'S WHY THEY GOT THAT REPUTATION.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN INCIDENTS.

BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INCIDENTS WITH ALL BREEDS OF DOGS.

AND THESE ARE THE SWEETEST, MOST EMPATHIC, MOST SENSITIVE

CREATURES THAT I'VE OVERKNOWN.

( APPLAUSE ).

>> Stephen: THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL REASON, A BEAUTIFUL REASON TO

HAVE THAT DOG.

YOU'VE HAD MANY HONORS OVER THE YEARS, SIR, INCLUDING THE "SIR,"

RIGHT?

>> YES.

>> Stephen: BUT YOU GOT A BIG ONE LAST WEEK, WHICH I JUST

LOVE.

THIS IS ONE I WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO SOME DAY IF I COULD EVER EARN

IT.

IS YOU GOT YOUR HANDS AND FEET IMMORTALIZED AT HOLLYWOOD'S

T.C.L. CHINESE THEATER.

THERE YOU GO.

( APPLAUSE ) WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?

DID YOU HAVE-- WAS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU THOUGHT OF

GROWING UP?

BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMAGE I'VE HAD IN MY MIND SINCE I WAS A

CHILD.

>> IF I THOUGHT OF TI WOULD HAVE DISMISSED IT IMMEDIATELY.

BUT THERE IS A LITTLE STORY BEHIND TIF I MAY JUST TELL YOU.

I'LL KEEP IT VERY BRIEF.

I FIRST CAME HERE AS AN PROFESSIONAL ACTOR IN 1968 WITH

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, THE ARMSON THEATER, THE MUSIC

CENTER HAD JUST BEEN OPENED.

WE DID I THINK A SIX-WEEK SEASON DOING TWO PLAYS.

NOW, WHEN OUR FIRST DAY OFF CAME, WHERE DID WE HEAD?

HOLLYWOOD!

OF COURSE.

WE WANTED TO GET SOME EXCITEMENT, FEEL THE BUZZ OF

BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FILM CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

AND WE FOUND WHAT USED TO BE CALLED GRAMMAN'S CHINESE

THEATER.

IT'S NOW "THE CHINESE THEATERMENT.

AND WE LOOKED AT THESE SLABS OF CONCRETE WITH FOOTPRINTS AND

HANDPRINTS AND INCREDIBLY FAMOUS SIGNATURES SIGNED IN THEM.

AND WITH ME WAS A COLLEAGUE, ANOTHER ACTOR FROM THE COMPANY

PLAYING, YOU KNOW, SMALL, SUPPORTING ROLES.

IT WAS A GUY CALL BEN KINGSLEY.

AND BEN AND I, WE STOOD LOOKING AT THIS GOING, "WOW.

WHAT MUST IT BE LIKE?

IT MUST BE AMAZING."

WELL, THERE I WAS GETTING TO DO IT MYSELF.

AND HOLLYWOOD IS-- AMERICAN MOVIES ALWAYS HAD A HUGE

INFLUENCE ON ME.

I SAW THEM WHEN I WAS YOUNG.

AND THEY-- WELL, MY CHILDHOOD WASN'T GREAT.

SO MOVIES WERE AN ESCAPE.

AS ACTING FOR ME FOR A LONG TIME BECAME AN ESCAPE, I DIDN'T HAVE

TO BE PATRICK STEWART ANYMORE.

I COULD BE SOMEBODY ELSE AND LEAD ANOTHER LIFE, OTHER THAN

THE LIFE THAT I WAS LEADING.

AND SO TO BE ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD, DOING THAT WITH SO

MANY FAMOUS NAMES, I MEAN, INCREDIBLY DISTINGUISHED AND

BRILLIANT PEOPLE.

( APPLAUSE ).

>> Stephen: WELL, I HAVE ONE-- THERE IS ONE-- PATRICK, THERE IS

ONE OBVIOUS FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THERE.

HAS BEEN KINGSLEY GOTTEN IT?

>> OKAY, I HOPE TO BE DISCUSSING THIS WITH BEN VERY SOON, BUT NO,

HE HAS-- NO.

BUT -- >> Stephen: GOTCHA!

>> BUT HE GOT A STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME BEFORE I

DID.

SO WE'RE KIND OF 50-50.

>> Stephen: TIT FOR TAT, EXACTLY.

WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AGAIN.

"STAR TREK: PICARD" PREMIERES THIS THURSDAY ON CBS ALL ACCESS.

PATRICK STEWART, EVERYBODY!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH TALK SHOW LEGEND DICK CAVETT.