Star Trek: Lower Decks Creator Laments Patrick Stewart Never Appearing As Picard

Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ creator and showrunner answers the lingering question of why Patrick Stewart never voiced Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in his animated comedy.

For five seasons on Paramount+, Star Trek: Lower Decks continued Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s 24th century while lovingly referencing every aspect of Star Trek canon. The USS Cerritos may not have had the sterling reputation of the USS Enterprise, but that didn’t stop multiple TNG actors from beaming aboard as their iconic characters to meet Ensigns (later Lieutenants) Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid).

Following the tragic death of Patrick Stewart, Star Trek: Lower Decks creator Mike McMahan posted the reason why Stewart never voiced Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. McMahan laments that he “just didn’t have a story” about Picard meeting the USS Cerritos’ crew, and that Star Trek: Picard running simultaneously with Lower Decks from 2020 to 2023 made the logistics complicated. Read Mike’s post below:

I never got to work with Sir Patrick on Lower Decks, but he was amazing on American Dad, an accomplished comedic VO actor. I just didn’t have a story where Admiral Picard could encounter the Cerritos crew, especially with Picard airing at the same time. I wish I had.
— Mike McMahan (@mikemcmahan.bsky.social) 2026-10-29T23:27:22.935Z

McMahan continued his thread, telling a story about seeing Patrick Stewart in convention green rooms, and calling the legend of stage and screen “kind and humble” and “inspiring and human.” Also, Stewart “sometimes crammed 7 pens and a note pad and a pair of reading glasses in his shirt pocket while still looking cool,” according to McMahan.

Star Trek: Lower Decks began in 2380, a year after Star Trek: Nemesis, which meant Picard and his crew were still active in Starfleet. However, in Star Trek‘s timeline, Jean-Luc was promoted to Admiral and left the USS Enterprise-E under the command of Captain Worf (Michael Dorn) in 2381. Lower Decks‘ five seasons ended in 2383, so Picard could have encountered the USS Cerritos, had McMahan conjured a worthy story.

However, Star Trek: Lower Decks never lacked TNG alumni. Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), and a purple Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) from an alternate reality met the crew of the USS Cerritos, as did, amusingly, Q (John DeLancie) and the Borg Queen (Alice Krige). The USS Enterprise-E did appear in Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ series finale, although Michael Dorn didn’t voice Captain Worf.

Sadly, even if Star Trek: Lower Decks returns someday, as fans hope, Patrick Stewart cannot play Admiral Picard. Yet Picard is canonically alive during Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ early 2380s time period, and Jean-Luc is still kicking (albeit in a synthetic android body) in the early 25th century.

Star Trek: Lower Decks is streaming on Paramount+

Star Trek: Lower Decks