(Discussing whether or not he is typecast by audiences as Jean-Luc Picard): I think perhaps when I first walk in front of the camera they'll say, "Aha, there, ah, yeah, Jean-Luc, we recognize him despite that charming little mustache." I believe that audiences are really smart enough to let go of that pretty quickly, but that's also my job as an actor to persuade them that, you know, Jean-Luc Picard is left behind and this is someone entirely different... I mean, I'm an actor dedicated to transforming myself and to creating original pieces of work, and I will not accept that my life is going to be forever connected to Jean-Luc Picard in the roles that I play. On the other hand, I'm absolutely delighted that he's still in my life. Actually, I think my appearance in The Simpsons and an appearance that I did on Sesame Street - in praise of the letter B - were perhaps the two most distinguished bits of work that I've done in the United States. (Discussing his love for Beavis & Butthead): Oh, yes, my passion for them remains the same... I think it's one of the most original and brilliant pieces of television that we've seen in recent years. The dialogue is delightful. I simply sit and giggle and laugh all the time. (On preparing for the role of Professor X in the film X-Men) I read a lot of comic books. "I was brought up in a very poor and very violent household. I spent much of my childhood being afraid." "I would like to see us get this place right first before we have the arrogance to put significantly flawed civilizations out onto other planets, even though they may be utterly uninhabited." "When it first started, I didn't think that I would survive beyond the pilot. I did not unpack; I didn't see the point. I thought the producers would come to their senses and realize they'd made a grave error in casting me. I was certain that I'd be on my way back to London...Eventually, it became clear to me that not only wasn't I going to go away, the series wasn't going to go away. I stayed, and have relished every moment." (On his initial belief that he would be fired from Star Trek: The Next Generation). The three things that I am most proud of doing in my life is firstly, Extras; secondly, my appearance on The Simpsons and thirdly, appearing on Sesame Street. A lot of these changes we do on stage. So the Apollo audience, whether it's to their taste or not, will have to tolerate the sight of Josh and myself taking our clothes on and off. Before long there was another series, Deep Space Nine, then Voyager, now there is Enterprise. Bill was still filling Captain Kirk's shoes, and I was building shoes of my own. Bill has one style. We have completely contrasting personalities. We're very good friends. I adore him, but we're very different people, so they were smart enough to write characters that reflected that. When asked if he were offered the role on Star Trek today, would he accept it?: "Every now and again I sit in a hotel room, watching the show on television and I go, "Hello. I don't remember this episode." I'll be sitting there watching and forgetting that I ordered room service and there's a knock on the door. I let the guy in and he comes and sees that I'm watching the show. He's going to go back to the kitchen and say, "I've just seen the saddest thing ever. This guy is sitting there watching his old show." (Sept/Oct 2006, Star Trek Magazine issue #1) When asked if he had any memorable production memories from Star Trek: "[I had a letter] from a Las Vegas police sergeant. He wasn't asking for anything, he just wrote and said how much the show meant to him, and that he loved his work but there were many times when it made him very low and very despairing about society. When that happens, I go home and watch The Next Generation and it restores my belief that the world will get better." (Sept/Oct 2006, Star Trek Magazine issue #1) "Having played many roles of scientific intellect I do have an empathy for that world. It's been hard on me because flying the Enterprise for seven years in Star Trek and sitting in Cerebro in X-men has led people to believe that I know what I'm talking about. But I'm still trying to work out how to operate the air conditioning unit on my car." (Sept/Oct 2006, Star Trek Magazine issue #1)