Even when not in character as X-Men leader Charles Xavier, Sir Patrick Stewart is all about his wheels, and an excerpt from new memoir Making It So finds him reminiscing about the time a Beatle made his Aston Martin motorist dreams come true.
Published by Rolling Stone, the passage from Stewart's memoir, out today via Gallery Books, recounts the time Paul McCartney got word that Stewart dreamed of driving a grand tourer from the British automaker — a tidbit passed along by Jane Asher, McCartney's then-girlfriend with whom Stewart was acting alongside in 1965.
The actor writes, "One night after a performance, we were all sitting in the Old Duke pub when someone suggested a party game: We would go around the table, and each of us would answer the question, 'If you were given a million pounds, what would be the first thing you bought with it?' When it was my turn, I didn't hesitate. 'An Aston Martin DB4,' I said. 'It's a fabulous car.'"
Stewart shares that McCartney soon caught a performance, and paid him a visit in his dressing room to say, "'Jane tells me you like Aston Martins. Here, drive this.'" As it happened, Macca was pushing a silver Aston Martin DB5, and invited Stewart to take it for a spin, suggesting they drive to the city of Bath.
"Gearhead that I am, I was as excited to be behind the wheel of an Aston as I was to chauffeur Paul and Jane," Stewart writes. "Traffic was light, and I was able to operate the car with ease. Several times, Paul encouraged me to put the pedal to the metal. 'Yes, go on, overtake!' he said. 'Faster, faster. You can make this! Go!'"
"I appreciated his encouragement," the actor continues. "But the thought did cross my mind: If I kill Paul McCartney, it will be the only thing I will be remembered for."
Thankfully, Stewart kept the wheels on the road with a steady hand — even if the tour didn't look exactly like the photo illustration above. The actor also shared that upon meeting McCartney a second time, "decades later," the musician asked him, "Hey, Patrick, do you remember when we met in Bristol and I let you drive my DB5?"
McCartney's Aston Martin DB5 went to auction in 2017, but the memory he and Stewart share is forever.
Published by Rolling Stone, the passage from Stewart's memoir, out today via Gallery Books, recounts the time Paul McCartney got word that Stewart dreamed of driving a grand tourer from the British automaker — a tidbit passed along by Jane Asher, McCartney's then-girlfriend with whom Stewart was acting alongside in 1965.
The actor writes, "One night after a performance, we were all sitting in the Old Duke pub when someone suggested a party game: We would go around the table, and each of us would answer the question, 'If you were given a million pounds, what would be the first thing you bought with it?' When it was my turn, I didn't hesitate. 'An Aston Martin DB4,' I said. 'It's a fabulous car.'"
Stewart shares that McCartney soon caught a performance, and paid him a visit in his dressing room to say, "'Jane tells me you like Aston Martins. Here, drive this.'" As it happened, Macca was pushing a silver Aston Martin DB5, and invited Stewart to take it for a spin, suggesting they drive to the city of Bath.
"Gearhead that I am, I was as excited to be behind the wheel of an Aston as I was to chauffeur Paul and Jane," Stewart writes. "Traffic was light, and I was able to operate the car with ease. Several times, Paul encouraged me to put the pedal to the metal. 'Yes, go on, overtake!' he said. 'Faster, faster. You can make this! Go!'"
"I appreciated his encouragement," the actor continues. "But the thought did cross my mind: If I kill Paul McCartney, it will be the only thing I will be remembered for."
Thankfully, Stewart kept the wheels on the road with a steady hand — even if the tour didn't look exactly like the photo illustration above. The actor also shared that upon meeting McCartney a second time, "decades later," the musician asked him, "Hey, Patrick, do you remember when we met in Bristol and I let you drive my DB5?"
McCartney's Aston Martin DB5 went to auction in 2017, but the memory he and Stewart share is forever.