Ever since Patrick Stewart’s first acting gig at the age of 12 — he played the role of “Hotcourt Minor” in a school play — the star has been honing his craft, from experiencing Method acting by watching On the Waterfront to learning how to loosen up in his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Even now, Stewart is adapting to new techniques. “There is a change in the way young actors are working,” he said during his Vulture Fest 2023 appearance on Sunday. “I first encountered this a few years ago on a set when I was filming with a very talented young actress. And I had to say, ‘I’m really sorry, excuse me, but could you say your lines a little louder?’” Stewart said that younger actors today are so used to fancy-shmancy microphones that they are doing all their work quieter and faster. “There is this reducing of the volume and the drama and so forth, but not the speed,” he added.

But don’t get it twisted; Stewart isn’t upset about this development. “I am looking forward so much to my next job,” he said. “First of all, I’m going to talk to younger actors. If they’re aware of this change that is happening, and if so, have them talk to me about it. Then I want to have a go myself.” Duplass Brothers, you know what you have to do.

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