Sir Patrick put off stage battles by ‘crazy actors’

Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart has revealed that he is frightened of performing fight scenes on stage because of previous bad experiences with “crazy actors”.

The 71-year-old X-Men star told the Radio Times that he only felt comfortable with such scenes in the safer world of film and television.

“Fight scenes frighten me more than anything. I have been unlucky enough to work with one or two crazy actors and I have been hurt when they lose control,” he said.

“On TV and film, everything feels safe and properly done whereas on stage you can find yourself alone with a battleaxe-wielding actor when the red mist descends over his eyes.”

Sir Patrick is best known for his role as Jean-Luc Picard in the science fiction series, and as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.

He has performed on Broadway and in London’s West End in an acting career spanning more than 50 years.