Legendary actor Patrick Stewart has died aged 86 after a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.
His close friend and contemporary Ian McKellen has led tributes, describing him as as a “man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love”. Star Trek co-star William Shatner has described him as “the best of us”, and the Royal Shakespeare Company has called him a “colossus”.
He was best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard from the Star Trek: The Next Generation series and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise, and took on numerous roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Moving effortlessly between genres, he earned multiple awards, including an Olivier Award for his performance in Antony and Cleopatra. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. Marvel Studios is remembering Stewart as an actor who brought his X-Men character to life with “extraordinary grace, intelligence and humanity.” It calls him a “singular talent, generous collaborator and true gentleman.”
Born in Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, his mother was a textile worker and his father a former sergeant major whose experience in Dunkirk shredded his mental health. His love of drama came at school when a teacher introduced him to Shakespeare and encouraged him to perform. Hugh Jackman, who starred as Wolverine in the X-Men films, also paid tribute to Stewart on Instagram, calling him “a tremendous friend and man.”
Star Trek actor Jonathan Frakes, who played Picard’s No. 1, Commander William Riker, was among the first of Stewart’s colleagues to post a tribute to him online, simply saying, “Rest in peace my friend,” on his Instagram stories. William Shatner, who played Picard’s predecessor aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk, called this a heartbreaking week, making reference to the death of his co-star Walter Koenig. Shatner said he was filled with admiration for Stewart:
“From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him.”
Besides playing everyone from Claudius to Macbeth, he often performed a one-man rendition of A Christmas Carol and did West End and Broadway runs of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot in repertoire with long-time friend and X-Men co-star Ian McKellen.
Stewart is also survived by two children, a daughter, Sophia, and a son, Daniel. The statement on Stewart’s social media said “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.Â