It wasn't until the past couple years that I really started to have a greater appreciation for Stewart as an actor. Much like with his friend Ian McKellen, there is a certain likeable quality to him, and that often translates into likeable characters. But that doesn't mean he is limited in his range. To be totally fair, I don't care much for his Shakespearean works, so don't expect to find those here. But there was still plenty more to choose from, making this a very difficult like to put together. Here's what I came up with.
10. Frasier (2003)
A one-off sitcom appearance has to leave a pretty big impression to make it onto a list like this, but that's one of Stewart's great strengths. No matter how much time he's given, he always makes it count. This is a funny little appearance, playong a gay man who's developed a crush on Frasier.
9. Conspiracy Theory (1997)
A rare villainous performance for Stewart, he sadly isn't given a whole ton to do in this movie, but manages to use his generally calming demeanor for evil. There's a great deal of mystery surrounding this character, and for the sheer strangeness of seeing him play an effective villain back in the '90s, this one stands out.
8. Extras (2005)
Another single episode sitcom appearance, only this time he's playing himself and basically just has the one major scene. It's only a couple minutes, but his line delivery and perverse dialogue is absolutely hysterical and the single funniest moment of his career. He's a funny actor, and playing this exaggerated version of himself is a perfect showcase for his humor.
7. American Dad (2005-present)
A recurring voice-only performance in a show I've only seen in chunks, but the character he plays and the way he brings him to life make his scenes that standouts. He only shows up in maybe 1/4 of the episodes and generally just for a few lines, but he really is the highlight every time he appears and is line-for-line the most consistently funny character on the show.
6. Match (2015)
A bottle drama with three major characters and only one good performance, this should have been a much better movie than it wound up being. But with the help of Patrick Stewart as a very sexually-open and talkative dance teacher, it worked out in the end. An emotional and layered performance in an otherwise very mediocre film. One of the better dramatic roles of his career.
5. Blunt Talk (2015-2016)
Another sitcom performance! Only this time he's actually the main character. While almost everything else that happens in the show is boring or mostly just falls flat in its predictability, Walter Blunt is a very funny and bizarre lead character. He wouldn't be terribly out of place in a show like Boston Legal, as his eccentricities are so outlandish at times, you almost can't believe him. But he makes it work.
4. X-Men trilogy (2000-2006)
The first things I ever saw Stewart in, these movies made good use of his addictive smile, calm demeanor, and trustworthy voice. The doesn't exist another actor in the world who could possibly play Professor X as convincingly and authoritatively as him, the kind of character I wouldn't otherwise likely find terribly interesting. He's the glue that holds these movies together -- which helps to explain why The Last Stand was such a terrible failure.
3. Green Room (2016)
Like I mentioned before, seeing Stewart take on villainous roles is pretty uncommon, but unlike the last time that isn't the main reason his performance in Green Room ranks so high here. Not only is this a total 180 from the kind of material he usually takes on, but this calm and calculated leader of a neo-nazi group (is group the right word? Clan? Coven? Conspiracy?) is a captivating villain with a truly intimidating presence. This is more the kind of role you'd expect to find Malcolm McDowell in, but Stewart somehow did it better than you might have expected.
2. Logan (2017)
I normally wouldn't separate performances into two slots, but there is a considerable difference between Xavier in the X-Men trilogy and the one we see in Logan. An absolutely tragic and depressing shell of the man he once was, Stewart's portrayal of a disintegrated mind is equal parts compelling and heartbreaking. Quite possibly the best performance I've ever seen in a superhero movie, and the fate of this character after nearly 2 decades is all the more powerful because of it.
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Even with how amazing he was in all the rest of these shows and movies, this was the only possible #1 there ever could have been. Jean-Luc Picard is probably my favorite character in all of TV or film, and the way he develops throughout The Next Generation was incredible. In a lot of ways, this list couldn't have been made if it weren't for this show. Since there are roughly 170 episodes of this series, boiling the performance down to a single description is very hard, but suffice it to say his individual work in Chain Of Command, The Inner Light, Family, or All Good Things alone would have been enough to top this list. It took him a while to get comfortable in the role, but once he was, it was all great.
10. Frasier (2003)
A one-off sitcom appearance has to leave a pretty big impression to make it onto a list like this, but that's one of Stewart's great strengths. No matter how much time he's given, he always makes it count. This is a funny little appearance, playong a gay man who's developed a crush on Frasier.
9. Conspiracy Theory (1997)
A rare villainous performance for Stewart, he sadly isn't given a whole ton to do in this movie, but manages to use his generally calming demeanor for evil. There's a great deal of mystery surrounding this character, and for the sheer strangeness of seeing him play an effective villain back in the '90s, this one stands out.
8. Extras (2005)
Another single episode sitcom appearance, only this time he's playing himself and basically just has the one major scene. It's only a couple minutes, but his line delivery and perverse dialogue is absolutely hysterical and the single funniest moment of his career. He's a funny actor, and playing this exaggerated version of himself is a perfect showcase for his humor.
7. American Dad (2005-present)
A recurring voice-only performance in a show I've only seen in chunks, but the character he plays and the way he brings him to life make his scenes that standouts. He only shows up in maybe 1/4 of the episodes and generally just for a few lines, but he really is the highlight every time he appears and is line-for-line the most consistently funny character on the show.
6. Match (2015)
A bottle drama with three major characters and only one good performance, this should have been a much better movie than it wound up being. But with the help of Patrick Stewart as a very sexually-open and talkative dance teacher, it worked out in the end. An emotional and layered performance in an otherwise very mediocre film. One of the better dramatic roles of his career.
5. Blunt Talk (2015-2016)
Another sitcom performance! Only this time he's actually the main character. While almost everything else that happens in the show is boring or mostly just falls flat in its predictability, Walter Blunt is a very funny and bizarre lead character. He wouldn't be terribly out of place in a show like Boston Legal, as his eccentricities are so outlandish at times, you almost can't believe him. But he makes it work.
4. X-Men trilogy (2000-2006)
The first things I ever saw Stewart in, these movies made good use of his addictive smile, calm demeanor, and trustworthy voice. The doesn't exist another actor in the world who could possibly play Professor X as convincingly and authoritatively as him, the kind of character I wouldn't otherwise likely find terribly interesting. He's the glue that holds these movies together -- which helps to explain why The Last Stand was such a terrible failure.
3. Green Room (2016)
Like I mentioned before, seeing Stewart take on villainous roles is pretty uncommon, but unlike the last time that isn't the main reason his performance in Green Room ranks so high here. Not only is this a total 180 from the kind of material he usually takes on, but this calm and calculated leader of a neo-nazi group (is group the right word? Clan? Coven? Conspiracy?) is a captivating villain with a truly intimidating presence. This is more the kind of role you'd expect to find Malcolm McDowell in, but Stewart somehow did it better than you might have expected.
2. Logan (2017)
I normally wouldn't separate performances into two slots, but there is a considerable difference between Xavier in the X-Men trilogy and the one we see in Logan. An absolutely tragic and depressing shell of the man he once was, Stewart's portrayal of a disintegrated mind is equal parts compelling and heartbreaking. Quite possibly the best performance I've ever seen in a superhero movie, and the fate of this character after nearly 2 decades is all the more powerful because of it.
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
Even with how amazing he was in all the rest of these shows and movies, this was the only possible #1 there ever could have been. Jean-Luc Picard is probably my favorite character in all of TV or film, and the way he develops throughout The Next Generation was incredible. In a lot of ways, this list couldn't have been made if it weren't for this show. Since there are roughly 170 episodes of this series, boiling the performance down to a single description is very hard, but suffice it to say his individual work in Chain Of Command, The Inner Light, Family, or All Good Things alone would have been enough to top this list. It took him a while to get comfortable in the role, but once he was, it was all great.
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