At 17, Patrick Stewart took up bricklaying to afford hair loss treatment. How going bald helped him land the iconic Star Trek role

Patrick Stewart was one of the most revered actors in Hollywood. He gained a cult following for playing the iconic role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men. Patrick died on October 28 after a battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia. He was 86. An actor and an author, Patrick wasn’t always comfortable in his signature bald look. As per reports, he tried many cosmetic and medical treatments for hair loss, but none of them worked. Interestingly, it was his bald appearance that helped Patrick land the famous Star Trek role.

Patrick, in his New York Times bestselling autobiography, Making It So: A Memoir, recalled how he took up a physically demanding bricklaying job to pay for costly hair loss treatments, reported The Mirror. He was just 17, starting out at drama school, when he began to go bald.

Patrick Stewart’s baldness and failed hair loss treatments

‘I wanted to be able to pay for treatment at a hair clinic in Bristol,’ wrote Patrick in his memoir. When he discussed the issue with others, the actor realised that he should undergo professional treatment. But for that he needed more cash. That’s when Patrick started working as a bricklayer in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England.


Although Patrick was able to earn enough money to secure the hair treatment, his hair growth efforts bore no fruit. In his memory, the actor admitted that the clinic treatments in Bristol did nothing for his baldness. He underwent 3-4 sessions involving electrode patches on the scalp, massaging, and the application of creams.

Patrick Stewart’s iconic bald look in Star Trek

‘But it was hopeless,’ shared Patrick, adding that by the age of 19 he was completely bald. Although conscious of his appearance at first, Patrick mentioned that his bald look paved the way for his legendary Star Trek role that people remember even to this day. In this context, the memoir details his audition for the role.

Patrick revealed that while giving his audition for Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the production team initially wanted him to wear a wig for the character. However, seeing Patrick in his natural, bald self made them change their decision and they decided to retain his original appearance. And the rest is history.