Patrick Stewart recalls being on the set of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and not knowing that David Warner was going to play the part of Gul Madred. It came as a pleasant surprise when executive producer Rick Berman came on set to inform the actor that he would be reunited with an old colleague. “I was beside myself,” Stewart said. “All but one of my scenes in the episode were to be with him, and he was going to torture me! I didn’t feel worthy.” And indeed, the scenario allowed both actors to dig deep and provide dark, on-edge performances. Stewart even recalled his reunion:
“When he arrived on the set, David was an absolute sweetheart, clearly delighted to be in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation.’ I’ll admit that it all felt a bit wrong, this dynamic. Through a strange and unlikely chain of events beginning with a last-minute invitation from David Rodes to perform at a UCLA event, I had become, in my forties and fifties, the leading actor in a major TV series. Now, here was the greatest star of the British stage when I was starting out, thrilled to be a guest actor on my show. Life is indeed strange.”
Filming on “The Next Generation” went quickly, with a whole episode usually being knocked out in a matter of days. Warner, although a consummate professional, arrived on set only shortly before filming and didn’t have much opportunity to learn his lines. Stewart said that his co-star had to read the bulk of his dialogue off of cue cards. He also noted that Warner was such a talented actor that no one would be able to tell. “[…H]e inhabited every character he played,” Stewart added, “always delivering a performance that was truthful and real.”