Summary
- Star Trek: Picard season 2 explores Jean-Luc's childhood trauma with his father Maurice, shedding new light on their complex relationship.
- James Callis portrays Maurice Picard, Jean-Luc's father, in Star Trek: Picard, adding depth to the character's backstory.
- Battlestar Galactica's Callis, known for his role as Dr. Gaius Baltar, is now part of two iconic science fiction franchises.
In Star Trek: Picard season 2, Battlestar Galactica's James Callis portrayed Maurice Picard, the father of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Picking up twenty years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Picard saw Jean-Luc get pulled into more galaxy-saving adventures with friends both new and old. In Picard season 2, Picard was forced to confront his childhood trauma thanks to interference from Q (John de Lancie). Throughout season 2, Picard experienced flashbacks to his childhood that helped him recontextualize the complex relationship between his parents, Yvette (Madeline Wise) and Maurice Picard.
A reimagining of NBC's 1978 series of the same name, 2004's Battlestar Galactica was created by screenwriter and producer Ronald D. Moore, who had also worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and co-wrote Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact. Battlestar Galactica followed the remnants of a distant human civilization as they searched for a fabled colony known as Earth after suffering a devastating attack from advanced androids known as Cylons. James Callis starred in Battlestar Galactica as Dr. Gaius Baltar, an arrogant scientist who unwittingly enabled the Cylons' attack.
A new Battlestar Galactica series set in the same universe as the 2004 show is currently in the works at Peacock, with Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail as executive producer.
Battlestar Galactica’s James Callis Is Jean-Luc’s Father In Star Trek: Picard
Picard season 2 forced Jean-Luc to see his father in a new light.
In Star Trek: Picard season 2, episode 7, "Monster," Jean-Luc Picard relives painful memories from his past as he lies unconscious after being struck by a car. The dreaming Jean-Luc is confronted by his father, Maurice, wearing a Starfleet uniform, and Admiral Picard's buried memories of his father chasing the young Jean-Luc and his mother around their house resurface. While Picard remembered his father as being abusive, Maurice was actually trying to care for Jean-Luc's mentally ill mother, Yvette, in the only way he knew how. Maurice tried to protect the young Jean-Luc and do what he could for Yvette, but she refused to seek outside help.
Later, when Admiral Picard revisits his childhood home in La Barre, France, he experiences more flashbacks, remembering a traumatic hide-and-seek game he once played with his mother in the tunnels beneath their home. Suffering from a psychotic break, Yvette tried to take Jean-Luc away, prompting Maurice to lock his wife in her room for her own safety. Yvette later took her own life, for which Picard blamed both himself and his father. Maurice and Jean-Luc were never particularly close, and they became estranged after Picard joined Starfleet rather than tend to his family's vineyards.
Clive Church played an elderly Maurice Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6's "Tapestry" decades before James Callis was cast in the role for Star Trek: Picard .
James Callis’ Acting Career & Roles
Callis is most known for Battlestar Galactica, but he has appeared in several other popular series.
English actor James Callis began his acting career in the late 1990s, appearing in several British television shows and mini-series. His debut film role came in 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary, in which he portrayed Bridget Jones's best friend Tom, a role he reprised in the two sequel films. Callis is most remembered for portraying Dr. Gaius Baltar on Battlestar Galactica, a role that earned him an award for Best Supporting Actor on Television at the 2005 Saturn Awards. Throughout Battlestar Galatica's run, Baltar wore many different hats, from scientist to villain to President to cult leader, but one thing he never was, was boring.
James Callis portrayed Athan Cole in Syfy's 12 Monkeys created by Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas.
In another role with a Star Trek connection, James Callis portrayed Athan Cole in Syfy's12 Monkeys created by Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. Callis also appeared in episodes of Numb3rs, Eureka, CSI, The Musketeers, and MacGyver, and co-starred as Simon Hardwick in the shortlived CBS drama Blood & Treasure. In one of his most recent roles, he provides the voice for Alucard in Netflix's animated adaptation of Castlevania and its sequel, Castlevania: Nocturne. James Callis may have only guest starred in Star Trek: Picard, but he's now part of two of science fiction's most iconic franchises.
