Sir Patrick Stewart brands Brexit ‘the grimmest thing’

Sir Patrick Stewart has described Brexit as “the grimmest thing” to have happened to him in his political life.

The actor, 79, best known for his roles in Star Trek and the X-Men films, was a Remain campaigner and supporter of the People’s Vote campaign.

Speaking at the premiere of Star Trek: Picard in London, he said: “It makes me very, very sad. I think what is happening with the European Union is actually the saddest, grimmest thing that has happened to me since I have been involved in politics.”

Sir Patrick, who is reprising the revered role of captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Amazon Prime Video series, once said he planned to apply for US citizenship so he could vote against Donald Trump.

Speaking on the red carpet, he told the PA news agency that the election of Boris Johnson had prompted him to scrap this idea as his vote was now needed to rid the UK of Mr Johnson.

He said: “I think we have our own Trump in our country here today, so I am going to be using my vote to try and get rid of him.”

Picard will see Sir Patrick’s much-loved character, who he played on TV and in films from 1987 to 2002, during the next chapter of his life, living on the family vineyard.

Sir Patrick initially declined the chance to reprise the role but was eventually convinced by the “ideas and concepts” of the new series.

He said: “It wasn’t my idea. It was other people’s idea and they invited me to come back. I am doing this because on my second meeting, the ideas and concepts I heard were irresistible.

“Furthermore, it wasn’t the Jean-Luc Picard that I had been for 12 years.”

Asked whether the intervening 18 years had influenced the way he performed as Picard, he said: “I always did that. Picard and I were merged very early on but he lives in a different world now. That is what makes this series such a contrast to the other ones.”

The series will also star Alison Pill, Harry Treadaway, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, Evan Evagora and Michelle Hurd.