The late, great Sir Patrick Stewart was a legend of the stage and screen. When it comes to television, he is most certainly best known for his role as the brash and bold Captain Jean-Luc Picard from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” But as his co-star LeVar Burton pointed out in a tribute (via Variety) following the beloved actor’s passing, “Of all the Dames and Knights I’ve known [Stewart] was deep down-the silliest.” And due to this silliness, he was not afraid to accept roles that some may have thought were uncharacteristic of a thespian of his caliber.
Throughout his TV career, some of Stewart’s most notable comedic performances included his guest spots as acclaimed director and opera guild head Alistair Burke on “Frasier,” the leader of the Stonecutters on “The Simpsons,” and a heightened version of himself on “Extras.” All of these parts are traditionally funny, but when he joined the cast of Prime Video’s 2026 dark comedy “Bait” starring Riz Ahmed, the performer was able to delve into the darker, more unusual side of comedy. For this show about an unexpected choice for the next actor to step into the iconic suit of James Bond, Stewart lent his voice to a severed pig’s head that speaks to Ahmed’s character.
Pigtrick serves as absurd and hilarious symbolism
In “Bait,” Ahmed plays Shah Latif, a struggling British Pakistani actor who has an existential crisis after auditioning for the next 007 film. Things quickly go off the rails over the course of four days, starting with intentionally leaving his big audition through an exit where he knows that he will be seen by paparazzi. This leak causes backlash all over the internet, but someone takes it too far by throwing a severed pig’s head through his parents’ living room window.
The next episode opens in a way that baits the audience into thinking that Shah is being interviewed by Patrick Stewart. But as events unfold, we learn that he is actually talking to the head in a freezer and hearing its responses in Stewart’s voice. Dubbed “Pigtrick,” this hate crime accessory is representative of Shah’s own self-doubt. It manifests while he yearns to attain the status and respect that would come with landing a role like Bond that is typically out of reach for actors of color. Eventually, Pigtrick ends up in a bag that Shah carries around town as the hallucinations continue.
In an interview with GQ, Ahmed revealed that Stewart accepted what ended up being one of his last TV roles because “he’d never read anything quite like this.” Well, fans of Stewart’s likely have never seen him take a role like this before either. Even until the end, the venerable actor was still taking chances while honing his craft.
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