Patrick Stewart 'Picked-On Pudgy Star Trek Co-Star A Lot' and Demanded He Exercise — as Rumors of On-Set Tension Resurface After Icon's Death
Patrick Stewart reportedly 'picked on' a 'Star Trek' co-star for becoming 'pudgy.'
Oct. 30 2026, Published 4:35 p.m. ET
Patrick Stewart's reputation for perfectionism came to a head on his third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, when he reportedly "picked on" a co-star for looking "pudgy" in his Starfleet uniform, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The acting icon died on Wednesday, October 28, after a "brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia," according to his spokesperson, and the co-star in question paid tribute to his "late great friend."
'Picard' Co-Stars 'Found Themselves Gritting Their Teeth Around Patrick'
Stewart posed with his co-stars on for the red carpet premiere of the third and final season of 'Star Trek: Picard' in 2023.
Stewart was reportedly a tough taskmaster to co-stars Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, and Michael Dorn when they reunited for Picard, which aired on CBS All Access from 2020 through 2023.
"Patrick's a perfectionist who demands better than the best from everyone, and he has no regard for people who are tardy. Being on time actually means late in Patrick’s book of rules!" an insider claimed about on-set tension.
"Though the Next Generation co-stars loved being together again, they found themselves gritting their teeth around Patrick," the spy noted.
Patrick Stewart Thought Jonathan Frakes 'Looked Pudgy' In His 'Picard' Uniform
Stewart reportedly got Jonathan Frakes 'on the treadmill' so he could look more fit in his Starfleet uniform.
However, Frakes reportedly felt Stewart's wrath the most, especially about how he looked in his uniform playing Commander Will Riker 36 years after originating the role in 1987.
"Patrick picked on Jonathan a lot and even got him on the treadmill because he thought he looked pudgy in uniform,” the source claimed.
"Everyone had to bow to Patrick’s demands; it was his show. They respect him, but they won’t jump at the chance to work with him again anytime soon."
The series wrapped up in 2023 after 30 episodes, bringing its carefully planned three-season story arc to a close and delivering one last emotional farewell to the beloved Star Trek: The Next Generation crew.
'He Will Be With Me Forever'
Frakes shared a moving tribute upon learning of Stewart's passing.
Frakes paid tribute to Stewart after his death was announced on Thursday, October 29.
"There's no one on this planet that I have acted with or directed more often than my late great friend Patrick Stewart. He will be with me forever. May he rest in Peace," the Pennsylvania native said in a statement.
Frakes directed Stewart in six episodes of Picard, including two in the final season when he was allegedly getting "picked on" about his physique.
He also called the shots behind the camera on eight episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and two blockbuster Star Trek movies, First Contact and Insurrection.
Patrick Stewart Returned to Play Picard Again Under a Strict Set of Demands
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Stewart initially had no interest in returning to his role as Picard.
Stewart wrote in his 2023 memoir, Making It So, that he initially had no interest in revisiting Picard.
He explained how in 2018, he was approached with the prospect of meeting with acclaimed screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, who wanted to revisit Picard in his later years.
"My instant reaction? 'No, definitely not interested. Sorry,'" Stewart explained.
"Fifteen minutes later, perhaps hedging a little, I called my agent back and told him that I would meet with Alex and Akiva, but only to explain why I was not interested in reentering the Star Trek realm. It was the polite thing to do, after all."
"I was done with him. I had said everything I wanted to say about him. His journey, as far as I was concerned, was complete, and for the remainder of my life, I was eager to find work as far away from Star Trek as possible, to keep moving forward as an actor," Stewart explained about Picard.
He eventually agreed to a storyline to place Picard "in entirely new settings with entirely new characters," that "Picard would no longer be serving in Starfleet, and he was not to wear any kind of uniform or badges," and that the "series would run for no more than three seasons."
By the final season, the uniforms were back, as were members of the Star Trek: The Next Generation original cast
