Patrick Stewart goes into a great deal of detail about his audition for “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” In “Making It So,” he talks about a brief acting gig he had at UCLA, and how one of the men who was working on the then-nascent “Star Trek: The Next Generation” saw him and arranged a meeting with Gene Roddenberry at his home. Stewart recalls the first awkward meeting with Roddenberry and the visits to the Paramount lot on Melrose. He recalls meeting with the director of the “Next Generation” pilot, Corey Allen, in secret, getting invaluable inside-track advice. He even remembers the difficulty parking; Los Angeles natives can tell you that the Paramount lot is a painful place to commute to.
Stewart also recalled a woman named Joy Zapata who helped him get his wig on for one of his final “Next Generation” auditions. He wrote:
“Her name was Joy Zapata, and it was the start of a lovely friendship between us. Joy had recognized me from the headshots she’d been sent in preparation for my arrival — it was she who was charged with fitting my hairpiece for the audition, and she had been diligent in her research. Joy went ahead with the job of getting my wig in place that morning. Then it was off to a room next door where the Paramount suits were waiting.”
Stewart wrote that he was ushered into a scary, large room full of executives. He read a scene with Allen, took some direction, and did it again. He wore his wig. After a curt, “I don’t think we need to hear anything more. Thank you, Patrick. Someone will be in touch,” Stewart went back to Zapata to remove the wig.
The final audition took place in the makeup chair.
