“that’s the picard maneuver. you can’t do that.”

There’s a post in r/startrek collecting some of the more memorable stories we have told, and fans have remembered, over the decades.

I added one of my own, which I know I’ve written about before, but not here, I don’t think.

It’s about Patrick Stewart tugging on his tunic top, which always wanted to ride up when he (or anyone wearing the uniform) sat down. Because Patrick can’t do anything halfway, he made it very dramatic. Over time, he began to use it as a little bit of business in appropriate moments.

This is a story about that.

We were filming on the bridge. The scene started with Wesley standing, and after half a page or so, he sits down at the conn and I think plots a course or something.

Whenever Wesley sat down, he pulled his jacket tight, just like Picard always did. If you look, you’ll see that we all do that. That’s an important bit of context: we all did that.

So it was like take four of the scene. After we cut on take three, this producer came into the set and stood off camera, just to the right of the viewscreen, as we were looking at it. We do take four, and while we are resetting for take five, this producer comes over to me, leans down so nobody can hear him, and says, “You can’t pull your tunic down like that. That’s the Picard Maneuver, and only Picard can do that.”

So, first of all: this guy is so far out of his lane, he isn’t on the map. If anyone is ever going to talk to an actor, especially in between takes, it always goes through the First Assistant Director, and the Director. It’s a matter of professional respect, and it’s important for our work. If anyone can come up and give us notes or whatever, we will end up with all these conflicting notes, unsure which one to actually listen to.

I’m just 17 or so, and even I know all of this, but I don’t want to get in trouble, so I just say, “…okay. How am I supposed to stop it from riding up to my tits when I sit down? Because that’s what happens.”

He looks so annoyed at me, and sort of bark-whispers, “Just don’t touch it.” And he scurries away into the darkness of the stage.

I am so tired of being treated differently than these same people treat the adults, and I still haven’t learned how to speak up for myself, directly. But I am about to engage in a bit of malicious compliance, the only form of resistance I know how to employ.

We reset, they roll, and when Wesley sits down, his tunic comes all the way up, just like I said it would. It exposes my fake muscle suit, my bracers holding up my trousers, and absolutely ruins the take.

“Cut!” The director calls from offstage.

“Wil, you have to pull your tunic down,” he says, with this tone of utter confusion. Like, obviously.

“Yeah, I know,” I say, looking straight at the guy who is about to wish he’d stayed in his lane, “but [his name] told me that I wasn’t allowed to do the Picard Maneuver, so…” and I shrug, the tunic still bunched up.

That guy turned so bright red, he lit up in the darkness. Everyone on the entire crew looked at him. He sputtered something, and quickly fled the stage.

I made eye contact with Brent and with Frakes. They both looked back at me, communicating their approval. It felt great.

I can’t say for sure that we printed the next take and moved on, but it’s a great way to end the story so let’s go with that.

That guy never gave me a note again. If I recall correctly, my little tunic tug (similar to, yet legally distinctly different from the Picard Maneuver) is in the final cut of the episode

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91 thoughts on ““that’s the picard maneuver. you can’t do that.””

  3. Thanks for this Wil. Needed to hear a story like this. In fact I think watching a few reruns of ST:NG will be mood appropriate 🙂 Cheers.

  4. That is an awesome story. It adds a great bit of humanity to the set and illustrates the clear family dynamic that was present and visible even from the other side of the camera as a viewer. I am glad that younger you stood up for yourself back then and that the other cast members had your back (or front as the case may be ;).

    Thanks for sharing.

  5. I laughed so much at this I had to read it out loud to my husband so he’d know what my giggles were all about. He also enjoyed this story. Thanks for sharing. Delicious malicious compliance 😆

  6. That’s so funny. For some reason I remember you doing this often, but not the other characters. I always assumed this was Wesley emulating Picard to demonstrate that the relationship was almost father/son. I do remember Riker doing it in an episode where he was in command of the Enterprise, and again thinking it was on purpose – Riker emulating Picard – because it was so noticeable.

  9. “Yeah, well, THAT may be the Picard Maneuver, but THIS is the Crusher Clutch. So nyaah.”

  11. SNORT LAUGH *

    Tiny little Tyrants need their fix. And you fixed his wagon, good. Sounds like our current faux government. Today, based on a comment I read yesterday in a Robert Reich post, I submitted a fraud report to the SSA and a Cyber Security complaint to CISA and it made me feel good.

  12. For a minute, I thought that shitty producer must have been Rick Berman, but I’m sure even he was aware enough to not give notes to actors in-between takes. Sucks that some of the producers on that show were shitty to you. I guess they didn’t fully appreciate just how valuable you and your character were to all the young kiddos rabidly watching TNG (like me!)

  17. I see the moral. There’s appropriate direction, and inappropriate direction. We choose. Thank you, Sir.

  19. On another level this is hilarious becuase it would be a totally valid bit of business for the character anyway. Wesley looked up to Picard so subconsciously picking up one of his mannerism would be completely logical.

    Malicious compliance for the win!

  20. Feel free to tell more stories like this. Love it! I am flabbergasted that an adult would treat you like that, but you handled it perfectly.

    1. It always feels so good to get a little revenge by doing exactly what they tell you to do.

  27. That is such a great story in so many ways. “Malicious compliance” that is a wonderful concept. Wil Wheaton 1, some producer 0. 🖖

  28. If we could all just stay in our own lanes. Good job on the self-advocacy. And only 17. Whoop.

  32. I love this story so much.

    I’ve never commented before, but your acting — through many things! — and your writings have really gotten me through some really dark and bleak points in my life.

    Thank you for being the honest and open person that you are.

  33. What a fantastic and brilliant story! Do you happen to know what episode it was? I would love to try to find the scene.

  36. I loved this story. I’m starting to exercise my own authority in my job and this made me giggle thinking of some of the stuff I’ve gotten through to hard headed co-workers using a similar technique! Thanks for the laugh!

  37. There’s not enough love to give to you for how much I love this story!
    Way to go 17-year-old Wil!!!

  38. I needed a story like this. Thank you so very much, Wil. All my best to you and yours, especially in these trying times.

  39. I love your stories about your time on TNG. Would ever consider doing more “Memories of the Future” in the future?

  40. Never did I imagine that 30 years after TNG was filmed, we would still be learning what happened on set. I love it and I hope you continue these snapshots.

    Cutting to the chase, I want to tell you Wil, that EVERYTIME I went to the theater to see a new Star Trek movie, I was constantly thinking “Where is Wesley?”. Seriously, I can’t imagine TNG without you. I still think about the plank you had to walk as the series was headed for a wrap. It is going to be with me until my departure from this plane of existence.

    Every TNG afficionado I know genuinely appreciates everything you brought to Star Trek. You will always be fondly remembered.

  41. Love it lol!!! What a great move.Thank you for sharing, I love hearing about the things that go one that we never see.

  44. Love that you managed to fix that jerks “little red wagon! Thanks for the laugh-so needed it today!

  46. I love this story so much, Wil. Thanks for sharing!

    TNG was on at the end of high school and then into the first couple of years of my undergraduate. Among my college pals who watched the show we called the tunic pull the “Picard maneuver” and we thought we were very clever; I think we thought we came up with it. I think it’s absolutely hilarious that you on the show called it that as well.

    Like Rose, I love “malicious compliance”. I’ve been able to do that a few times in my professional life.

  48. I kinda wanna know what episode this was, just so I can have a little chuckle every time I see it. Just like at the end of “Symbiosis” I always look for Denise to wave goodbye.

  49. Thats a neat story. Thank You. Im autistic, so Im quirky sometimes. I also have Savant Syndrome, so rather smart in certain areas. I can look about 20yrs younger than I am. I often get folks, at work in particular, who dont know me one bit, and who often has no authority to do so, approach me to complain about something. Whether right or wrong, but immediatly treat me as the dumbest idiot or a child. I get a lot of satisfaction, when I have a supervisor explain my work history w company, the records I hold at my position, and dont mind one bit, if they throw in some of my personal business too. (elite college, sucess as small business owner) What I really struggle with, and seems more prevlant w Americans, is how few, almost none apologize afterwards to me.

    I think this country is filled w the most miserable and bored folks in the world…by far, second to none. Miserable over nonesence more often than not too.

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