Patrick Stewart is in favour of children as young as 14 years old being given the right to vote.
The actor, who stars in new movie The Kid Who Would Be King shares the role of Merlin with 24-year-old Angus Imrie in Joe Cornish’s new cinematic take on the legend of King Arthur.
Patrick was so impressed by Angus and his 14-year-old co-star Louis Ashbourne Serkis, who plays Alex, a young high school student who battles evil after pulling a sword from a stone, he believes other young people like his co-stars should have their say when it comes to political decisions.
“I hear talk now that 14-year-olds should have the vote, and after the experience I’ve had with these young people in this film I would certainly vote for that,” he told WENN. “There is too much self-interest in politics, holding on to power, increasing their power, being proved to be right, all those things I despise, and if we had Angus and Louie sitting on the frontbench, I think we might have more hope for the future.”
In the film, Alex gathers together three of his schoolmates and embarks on a quest to emulate King Arthur and save Britain from the evil sorceress Morgana, meaning he must turn from a bullied teen into a heroic leader – a tale Patrick finds an inspiring one.
“I trust the actions of Alex in this story, because he’s a fine individual, beautifully played by Louis, and what I find so appealing about this is that these children continually having to make their own choices and their own decisions,” the 78-year-old explained.
The veteran star has also been moved watching American teenagers take a stand against firearms after school shootings – something that makes him hopeful for the future, as he finds their “generosity” in trying to create a better world to be “remarkable”.
The Kid Who Would Be King’s young cast were a little starstruck by being in the presence of British acting royalty, but Louis, whose father Andy Serkis has starred in Lord of the Rings and Black Panther, said that although meeting such an iconic actor was “nerve-wracking” he was quickly put at ease. The teen also revealed that he had turned to his dad, who accompanied him to a gala screening of the movie on Sunday (03Feb19), for advice whenever he felt “sad” or worried during the film shoot.
