[Cyberbeagle]

Originally Posted by celticarchie

Probably because Roddenberry wanted him to swear in French.

Sacrebleu!

[Odradek]

Originally Posted by DammitJim

when Roddenberry and company cast Patrick Stewart as the lead in TNG, why did they not just change his character to English instead of keeping him French
?

I read Roddenberry had Jacques Cousteau in mind creating the role.
I think he just wanted stay with that conception for the role

[celticarchie]

I think they just thought, he's an actor...actors are paid to be other people, not necessarily from the country of their birth.

If people can believe that Leonard Nimoy is an alien from another planet, then a Frenchman with an English accent isn't that much of a stretch.

Holywood has a weird thing going on with casting actors from different nationalities. For a while every time there was a British role, it seemed they would cast an Australian, or get an American to do a very poor accent. It's jut the way Holywood is I guess.

Lets not forget the Russian submarine commander with the Scottish accent.

[danellis]

I think the interesting thing about Picard being French, is that he is so very English at times; the tea, the stiff upper lip, etc.

I think if he had a beret and a chain of garlic round his neck, the british accent would get less comment

dJE

[lonstar70]

Originally Posted by DammitJim

firstly, this is NOT criticism of TNG, Patrick Stewart, Picard or anything else.

I'm just curious, and if this has been asked before I'm sorry but I can't find it.

when Roddenberry and company cast Patrick Stewart as the lead in TNG, why did they not just change his character to English instead of keeping him French
?

I just think Jean Patrick filled the role, what with thw whole Horatioblower thing.They certainly struck casting gold TWICE for a sereis, didint they? I loved all of TNG Characters.

[DevilEyes]

Originally Posted by danellis

I think the interesting thing about Picard being French, is that he is so very English at times; the tea, the stiff upper lip, etc.

I think if he had a beret and a chain of garlic round his neck, the british accent would get less comment

dJE

Vive les stereotypes.

[Lady Vaako]

Originally Posted by chator

At least provide us with links, since you brought this topic up.

This is the original thread where the whole debate started on this site: "Why Did a French Captain Have an English Accent?"

[Captain Tom Coughlin]

I always wondered why they just didn't change the character to a british character after they hired on Stewert. In the grand scheme of the character it would have been a minor change. Perhaps they would have had to change the wine making element to something else, I'm not sure that Britain has a strong wine making tradition (I could certainly be wrong about that), but otherwise a really minor change.

[NCC-73515]

It would have explained Shakespeare and Dixon Hill...

[Lady Vaako]

Originally Posted by Captain Tom Coughlin

I always wondered why they just didn't change the character to a british character after they hired on Stewert. In the grand scheme of the character it would have been a minor change. Perhaps they would have had to change the wine making element to something else, I'm not sure that Britain has a strong wine making tradition (I could certainly be wrong about that), but otherwise a really minor change.

I totally agree. Stereotypes asides, I've always found it irritating and not very believable that a Frenchman would quote Shakespeare instead of Molière and that tea would be his beverage of choice. I'm not saying that Picard should have been drinking wine all the time but you know...

Originally Posted by NCC-73515

It would have explained Shakespeare and Dixon Hill...

Exactly...