You likely associate Patrick Stewart with a range of roles, from his countless Shakespearean performances to Capitain Picard in Star Trek.
But it turns out that he only accepted the latter part because of an agent’s sliiiiight miscalculation.
In fact, he thought he’d only be playing the now-iconic part for a few months.
Speaking on The Late Late Show with James Corden last year, the veteran star admitted he “didn’t – couldn’t – accept what it was that I’d taken on” with Star Trek.
That’s partly because, when first signing up for the show, his agent told him: “Look, you know you cannot revive an iconic show. You cannot. It’s not going to work.
“So, just come over here. Do a dozen episodes, maybe less, and make some money for the first time in your life and go home’.”
“That was the prediction for me,” he added. “Six months, no more.“
Star Trek: The Next Generation actually ended up running for seven seasons across as many years. Sir Patrick also played the titular role in 2020′s Star Wars: Picard.
But the stage and screen star said he was hesitant to film that, too.
Remembering being told by his agent about the opportunity to reprise his iconic Star Trek character, he told TIME, “My instant reaction? ‘No, definitely not interested. Sorry.’”
However, after an in-person meetup, a 10-page explainer, and a set of Patrick Stewart’s conditions, the three-season-long show went ahead with the star at the helm.