Summary
InStar Trek: Picardseason 2,Battlestar Galactica’sJames Callis portrayed Maurice Picard, the father of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Picking up twenty years after the events ofStar Trek: Nemesis,Star Trek: Picardsaw Jean-Luc get pulled into more galaxy-saving adventures with friends both new and old.InPicardseason 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’sBattlestar Galacticawas created by screenwriter and producer Ronald D. Moore, who had also worked onStar Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,Star Trek: Voyager,and co-wroteStar Trek GenerationsandStar Trek: First Contact.Battlestar Galacticafollowed the remnants of a distant human civilization as they searched for a fabled colony known as Earthafter suffering a devastating attack from advanced androids known as Cylons. James Callis starred inBattlestar Galacticaas Dr. Gaius Baltar, an arrogant scientist who unwittingly enabled the Cylons' attack.
A newBattlestar Galacticaseries set in the same universe as the 2004 show is currently in the works at Peacock, withMr. Robotcreator Sam Esmail as executive producer.
All 9 Battlestar Galactica 2004 Actors Who Also Appeared In Star Trek
The original Battlestar Galactica featured many Star Trek actors throughout the 1970s, and Ronald D. Moore’s 2004 reboot kept up this tradition.
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.
InStar Trek: Picardseason 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 hisfather, 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 inStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 6’s “Tapestry” decades before James Callis was cast in the role forStar 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’sBridget 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 onBattlestar Galactica, a role that earned him an award for Best Supporting Actor on Television at the 2005 Saturn Awards. ThroughoutBattlestar Galatica’srun, 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’s12 Monkeyscreated byStar Trek: Picardshowrunner Terry Matalas.
In another role with aStar Trekconnection, James Callis portrayed Athan Cole inSyfy’s12 Monkeyscreated byStar Trek: Picardshowrunner Terry Matalas.Callis also appeared in episodes ofNumb3rs, Eureka, CSI, The Musketeers,andMacGyver,andco-starred as Simon Hardwick in the shortlived CBS dramaBlood & Treasure.In one of his most recent roles, he provides the voice for Alucard in Netflix’s animated adaptation ofCastlevaniaand its sequel,Castlevania: Nocturne. James Callis may have only guest starred inStar Trek: Picard,but he’s now part of two of science fiction’s most iconic franchises.
Star Trek: Picard
Cast
Star Trek: Picard follows retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, twenty years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis. The series delves into Picard’s life post-Starfleet, as he navigates a new chapter filled with unresolved past events and new challenges.
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is a science fiction television series that premiered in 2004. The plot follows the crew of the aging Battlestar Galactica as they protect a small fleet of human survivors from the renewed threat of the Cylons, in a quest to find the mythical 13th colony, Earth.
