In Blunt Talk, a new Seth MacFarlane-produced sitcom, a British journalist named Walter Blunt comes to America and begins his own cable news program. Unfortunately, Mr. Blunt has a terrible habit of becoming the top news story of the day himself through heavy alcohol or drug use or crazy antics with his man-servant. The best part of this new Starz series is the introduction of a new comedian named Patrick Stewart.
Patrick Stewart isn’t a new actor, you say? Very true, but Blunt Talk is the first time in the 75-year-old’s distinguished career that he is leading a comedy series. Since the tender age of 15, Stewart has been acting both on stage and screen. While he has played a wide variety of characters, there are two that Stewart is most known for – Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: the Next Generation and Professor Xavier in the popular X-men films.
In more recent years, Sir Patrick Stewart has branched out slightly and showed his comedic side to the world. Professionally, he has taken on voice-over work in hit animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, which are both also created and produced by Seth MacFarlane. Seeing the wealth of potential in Patrick Stewart’s comedic ability, MacFarlane set out to find a comedy vehicle specifically created for the actor. Too busy to create a series himself, MacFarlane searched for the perfect series and found it with writer Jonathan Ames’ Blunt Talk.
Besides doing hilarious voice-over work, Stewart can also be seen doing late-night comedy skits and joking around with good friend Sir Ian McKellen on the internet. With such a prominent internet and social media presence, one would likely assume Stewart couldn’t wait to get on the Twitter bandwagon. In a recent interview, Patrick Stewart actually admitted he did not want to begin using social media but was dragged to it by a PR person. Once he realized the power social media can have on change and the way it can unite thousands behind one cause, Stewart became a fan of social media and began having some fun with it.
How does this fine, British actor manage to connect with the population of the internet so well? As a ‘normal’ person, it is refreshing to see more serious actors and professionals showing their human side. Too often, we will only see some actors in one light and never get to know them as a person. Comedy is a great way to break down that divide and allow others to see the ‘real’ person beneath the professionalism.
Stewart’s viral comedy skits and roles have played a major role in boosting his online presence, but more importantly, it is the actor’s work with charities and activist groups that have garnered equally as much attention. He has spoken out in support of several global causes, including those supporting victims of bullying, animal abuse, domestic abuse, and human rights. Not to mention his outstanding work with Combat Stress as an advocate for veteran’s mental health, a cause near and dear to Stewart’s heart after learning more details of his father’s life after fighting in World War II.
Patrick Stewart has become the latest unlikely comedian to pop up in the digital age. He joins the ranks of other great actors like George Takei who managed to rise to internet fame and translate it into promoting social change and a career-boosting endeavor. The MacFarlane-Stewart fueled romp that is Blunt Talk plays on Saturday nights on Starz (check here for details). But with two seasons already lined up and these two men behind it, Blunt Talk is sure to be a big hit through and through.
Elizabeth Eckhart is a film and entertainment writer. She has written for Thunder Treats before and currently her home base is in Chicago. You can follow her on Twitter at @elizeckhart.
