Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men Star, Dies at 86; Ian McKellen Leads Tributes

Patrick Stewart, the British stage and screen actor best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" films, died Wednesday, Oct. 28, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. His longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said he died after "a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia," The Guardian reported, citing her statement to The Hollywood Reporter. The death was announced on Thursday, Oct. 29.

"He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all," the statement said, according to the Los Angeles Times. The family statement said he died "in the loving care of his wife," the BBC reported. He is survived by his wife, the singer Sunny Ozell, and by two children from his first marriage, Daniel and Sophie Stewart, according to the BBC.

From the Royal Shakespeare Company to the Enterprise

Stewart was born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England, the Los Angeles Times reported. He left school at 15 and worked as a newspaper reporter before choosing acting, and he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, Variety reported. In two decades with the company he appeared in more than two dozen productions, including as Oberon in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice," according to Variety.

He was cast as Picard at 47, The Guardian reported. He played the role throughout the 1987-1994 run of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," in more than 170 episodes according to the BBC, and then in four feature films: "Star Trek Generations," "Star Trek: First Contact," "Star Trek: Insurrection" and "Star Trek: Nemesis." He returned to the character for the Paramount+ series "Star Trek: Picard," which ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Stewart was initially hesitant to take the part because of the length of the television commitment. In a 1987 article announcing his casting, the paper described him as "an unknown British Shakespearean actor." He also earned four Emmy nominations and a Tony nomination, Variety reported. The Guardian reported that he won two Laurence Olivier awards, in 1979 for "Antony and Cleopatra" and in 2009 for "Hamlet," and a Grammy in 1996 for a spoken-word children's album. He was knighted in 2010, according to the BBC.

Professor X and a final film role

Stewart first played Professor Charles Xavier in 2000's "X-Men," opposite his longtime friend Ian McKellen as Magneto. His final film role will be in Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Doomsday," which opens in theaters Dec. 18 and marks his ninth time playing the character on the big screen, Variety reported. Marvel Studios confirmed in its tribute that the film would be "his final on-screen appearance."

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement: "I'll never forget the first time I saw Sir Patrick Stewart on the set of the first X-Men." Feige described him as "brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas," according to Variety. The studio called him "a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman."

In an interview published by TV Insider in July, Stewart said he did not plan to retire. "As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older," he said, according to Variety. "I'll always and forever be an actor."

Tributes from co-stars

McKellen called Stewart "the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic," The Guardian reported. "He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love," McKellen wrote on social media. The two met at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and McKellen advised him against taking the "Star Trek" role, NBC News reported. "Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did," McKellen said. The pair co-starred in "Waiting for Godot" and "No Man's Land," and McKellen officiated Stewart's 2013 wedding to Ozell, according to NBC News.

Fellow Enterprise captain William Shatner wrote on Facebook: "Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him," Variety reported. Jonathan Frakes, who played Cmdr. Will Riker, said: "There's no one on this planet that I have acted with or directed more often than my late great friend Patrick Stewart." LeVar Burton said: "He was family. There is no other context in which to hold him that makes sense."

Hugh Jackman, Stewart's "X-Men" co-star, wrote on Instagram: "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," according to The Guardian. George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu, posted that Stewart "inspired a whole next generation of star-gazers who looked longingly ahead to a brighter future for all humanity."

The Royal Shakespeare Company described Stewart as a "colossus of both stage and screen," the BBC reported, and theatres in London's West End will dim their lights for two minutes on Nov. 3 in his honor. Huddersfield Town, the English football club he supported throughout his life, called him a "titan of his craft." Variety reported that donations may be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.