Patrick Stewart Star Trek and X-Men star dies at 86

Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor known for his stage and screen work, died on Wednesday, October 28, in Los Angeles after a brief period of illness. Family members confirmed the death on his social media, saying it followed a short but poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia. The statement said he was surrounded by family, friends, music, prayer, tears and laughter. Memorial contributions may be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.

Iconic roles

Stewart’s best-known screen roles were Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. He played Picard for seven seasons of The Next Generation, reprised the role in four feature films, and returned to the character in the three-season Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard, which began in 2020. He played Xavier in nine feature films, starting in 2000, most recently in Avengers: Doomsday, due out this December.

Stewart began acting in 1959 with Cyrano de Bergerac and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, staying until 1982. He appeared as Shylock at the Old Vic in 1965 and later played major Shakespeare roles such as Enobarbus in Antony and Cleopatra, Claudius in Hamlet (in the 1970s and in the 2009 BBC production), and the ghost of Hamlet’s father. His first film role was Hedda in 1975, followed by King Leondegrance in Excalibur (1981) and Gurney Halleck in Dune (1984). From 1988 onward, he also performed a one-man version of A Christmas Carol.

Stewart lent his voice to The Prince of Egypt, Chicken Little, The Pagemaster, The Simpsons, American Dad, and Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. He also acted in Green Room, Dune, and TV shows including Frasier and Extras. His stage and screen work earned him two Laurence Olivier Awards, a Grammy, and nominations for a Tony, four Emmys, and three Golden Globes.

Stewart was a foster parent to pit bulls and supported causes including domestic-violence survivors, refugees, veterans’ mental-health services and animal welfare. He was an atheist and a member of Humanists UK. He was knighted in 2010, and he chaired the International Rescue Committee and worked with the ASPCA to combat dog fighting.