Star Trek: Picard is underway on CBS All Access, and actor Patrick Stewart is making a lot of headlines as of late. With attention like that, one can also get some sweet social media clout by presenting interesting information on the actor, apparently even if the information presented is incorrect. One Twitter user found that out the hard way when she trusted Google for a big question she had regarding Stewart's past.
It all started with somebody being curious about what Sir Patrick Stewart would look like with hair. Actress Natalie Morales (Parks and Recreation, Santa Clarita Diet) posted the picture she found. One look at the photo and it isn't hard to see why; this photo does look a bit like a young Patrick Stewart. As it turns out, though, it actually isn't him. Take a look:
The photo quickly gained traction, as more and more people were wowed by the awe-inspiring photo of a supposedly young Patrick Stewart. Those that may have been skeptical didn't have a leg to stand on, as a Google search of the picture clearly stated this was a young Patrick Stewart with hair. Of course, there were a few who somehow already knew the truth, and that the man in this picture is actually former Spartacus actor Andy Whitfield.
For those who don't remember, Andy Whitfield made a name for himself on Season 1 of the Starz series, but his run was sadly short-lived. Whitfield was forced to resign from his leading role after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (which he later died from), and was ultimately replaced by Liam McIntyre. At the oldest, this photo of Whitfield might be 20 years old, which would not have put us in the "super young Patrick Stewart with hair" era.
Slowly but surely, more people began to realize the mistake. While it can't be said for certain they recognized Andy Whitfield, many already knew what Patrick Stewart looked like with hair from his earlier days as an actor. The result isn't quite as jaw-dropping as the picture of Whitfield, but it is strange to see the longtime X-Men and Star Trek actor with a full head of hair.
Patrick Stewart looks rather dashing in that photo, but, let's be honest, he always looks rather dashing. The bald look has worked for Stewart for decades now, so there will be no reason for the actor to suddenly get self-conscious and scour the world for a hairpiece at this stage in his life. That said, I can't wait to see if there's ever a young Picard with hair in a flashback on Star Trek: Picard, but only if they use the above photo as a guide for choosing the actor.
Patrick Stewart stars in Star Trek: Picard, which has new episodes up on CBS All Access, Thursdays at 12:01 PT. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the iconic actor, Star Trek, and for a look at all things happening in the world of television and movies.
