Tributes poured in across the entertainment world following the death of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed British stage performer who achieved worldwide fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the “Star Trek” franchise and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films. He was 86.
Stewart died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home with his wife, Sunny Ozell, at his side, his representative announced, according to Deadline. The representative stated that the actor passed away following a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, Deadline reported, while BBC News reported the cause of death as Alzheimer’s disease.
A Five-Decade Friendship
Sir Ian McKellen led the public tributes on Thursday, reflecting on a bond that began five decades ago when both worked as young performers with the Royal Shakespeare Company. McKellen described his longtime friend and collaborator on social media as “the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic.”
McKellen recounted advising Stewart against moving across the Atlantic when the leading television role in sci-fi was first offered. “‘But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?'” McKellen recalled asking him. “Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did.”
The two later starred together as rivals Magneto and Professor X beginning with the 2000 film “X-Men.” Their bond extended well beyond comic-book adaptations. In 2009, they shared the London stage in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” later bringing a repertory staging of that play and Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” to Broadway in 2013 and 2014, and reviving Pinter’s work in London’s West End in 2016. McKellen also registered as a minister with the Universal Life Church to officiate Stewart and Ozell’s 2013 wedding on the shores of Lake Tahoe in Nevada.
Co-Stars Remember His Legacy
Other colleagues from his expansive career also offered emotional remembrances. William Shatner, who originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” franchise, wrote on X that Stewart brought “intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did,” BBC News reported. Shatner added, “Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him.”
George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu in the original series, noted that Stewart inspired generations of viewers looking toward a more optimistic human future. Hugh Jackman, who shared the screen with Stewart across multiple “X-Men” features, called him a “tremendous friend and man” and praised him as one of the true greats of stage and cinema.
Marvel Studios released a statement describing Stewart as “a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.” Meanwhile, admirers gathered to lay floral tributes on his star along the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
From Yorkshire to the Screen
Born in Yorkshire, England, in 1940, Stewart built an extensive classical resume before gaining international recognition. He portrayed Picard in more than 170 episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” from 1987 to 1994, starred in four feature films based on the show, and later reprised the character from 2020 to 2023 in the series “Star Trek: Picard.” Despite his Hollywood prominence, he frequently returned to the stage, performing works by William Shakespeare, Henrik Ibsen, Arthur Miller and Peter Shaffer.
Audiences will see Stewart on screen one final time alongside McKellen in Marvel’s upcoming feature “Avengers: Doomsday,” which Deadline and IndieWire reported is scheduled for release in December.
