Why Patrick Stewart Has A Special Fondness For Star Trek: First Contact

Apart from his legendary turns as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and, most recently, "Picard," Patrick Stewart and his co-stars have also soared on the big screen in four feature films.

The first movie featuring Stewart and his "Next Generation" crew came in 1994 with director David Carson's "Star Trek Generations" — a story that effectively passes the big-screen torch from William Shatner and the classic "Star Trek" TV-turned-movie cast to Stewart and his series co-stars. Next up was "Star Trek: First Contact," a project that's particularly special to the actor for one reason: It was co-star Jonathan Frakes' debut as a film director.

"We all loved being directed by him during the show's run, but here he really elevated his game," Stewart wrote in his 2023 book "Making It So: A Memoir." "Jonathan is a funny, light-hearted man who always creates a positive atmosphere on the set, but this time, he sharpened his focus, demanding of us an emotional authenticity beyond what we'd given on the show. This was the big leagues, after all."

With the box office success of "Star Trek: First Contact" — which earned around $150 million against a $46 million production budget — Frakes proved that he was a heavy hitter who well-earned his shot at the big leagues.

Jonathan Frakes — who plays William Riker in all the "Star Trek" series and films he appears in — went on to direct one more film starring his fellow "Next Generation" stars with "Star Trek: Insurrection" in 1998. The final film featuring Patrick Stewart, Frakes and the rest of his TV cast came in 2002 with "Star Trek: Nemesis," directed by Stuart Baird.

Of all the "Star Trek" films Stewart appeared in, the actor holds "Star Trek: First Contact" in the highest regard because of Frakes' expert direction. The eighth film in the "Star Trek" film franchise, "First Contact" pits Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise against the malevolent alien race the Borg.

"Beyond his deft handling of the cast, he also demonstrated technical mastery, his camera capturing the intimacy of the film's emotional scenes without being intrusive," Stewart wrote in "Making it So." "'First Contact' was also the best-looking 'Star Trek' film to date, a tribute to its excellent lighting design and sets, as well as Jonathan's choices regarding camera movement and color palette."

In addition to being a full-time actor, Frakes has also assembled a prolific career as a director with nearly 50 credits to date. Among his credits behind the camera are the recent "Star Trek" series "Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Picard," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."