Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed 74-year-old British star of stage and screen, has breathed life into a diverse array of characters over the course of his exceptional career. He’s played genius telepathic mutant Charles Xavier in the blockbuster X-Men franchise; has boldly gone where few men have gone before as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and its films; and has dazzled onstage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.But audiences have never seen him quite like this.
In Blunt Talk, a new Starz series premiering August 22, Stewart plays Walter Blunt—a British personality hell-bent on making a name for himself in the cutthroat arena of U.S. cable news (think: a tolerable and more charismatic Piers Morgan). Blunt hosts a nightly news show in which he lectures Americans on how to class themselves up, but his reckless attitude means he’s constantly at odds with his staff, ex-wives, and producer, played by Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver. He finds solace in Harry (Adrian Scarborough), his alcoholic manservant.
The series is created by Jonathan Ames and executive-produced by Seth MacFarlane. In this exclusive clip, check out Stewart in all his zany glory—snorting rails of cocaine, smoking weed, and wreaking havoc on America, all with the help of the loyal Harry.