‘Blunt Talk’ tests Stewart’s comic chops

  • By Scott Collins Los Angeles Times
  • Monday, August 17, 2015 10:12am
  • LifeGo-See-Do

“I’ve done things in the last three weeks,” Patrick Stewart was saying, “I’ve never thought in my life I would do on-camera.”

Coming from Stewart, that statement demands attention. On “Star Trek: The Next Generation” — the sci-fi series that made him a household name — Stewart played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, the cerebral spaceship commander who, among other unlikely events, survived a stab to the heart during battle and had his body taken over by aliens.

But those were heroic things. For his latest project, the 74-year-old Shakespearean-trained actor is exploring new frontiers of outrage. On the new Starz comedy “Blunt Talk,” Stewart plays Walter Blunt, a blustery, self-obsessed but essentially good-natured British-born host at a cable news network beset by ratings worries. The series, which also features Jacki Weaver, Adrian Scarborough and Dolly Wells, premieres Aug. 22.

Viewers may see parallels with Piers Morgan and CNN. But it’s a safe bet Morgan doesn’t go home like Blunt does and chase a butler around a dining room table with a ninja bokken, a la Peter Sellers in “The Pink Panther” movies.

“Blunt Talk” is Stewart’s first TV comedy beyond guest roles here and there. “This is a new world for me,” he said, lounging between takes in an elegant bathrobe and slippers on a soundstage in Santa Clarita, California, where the Starz show was being filmed this year.

The bathrobe was for the next scene, when Blunt would scuffle in the dining room with his servant and sparring partner Harry, played by the English actor Adrian Scarborough. His signature bald pate and regal bearing made Stewart look as fit for a revival of “The King and I” as for “Blunt Talk.”

Indeed, the actor prepared for his latest role as thoroughly as he might for the part of a Shakespearean hero.

“I became increasingly interested in his chaotic back story and life off-camera,” the actor said. For his own reference, “I wrote two pages of his history, his family, his upbringing, his education.”

But whatever outrage happens on-screen — and Stewart promises plenty — the creators are adamant on one point: “Blunt Talk” isn’t intended as a satire of the cable news business or anything else.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.