Sir Patrick Stewart, Star Trek’s Captain Picard and X-Men’s Professor X, Dies Aged 86
by Bill Giannopoulos · Greek City TimesSir Patrick Stewart, the Shakespearean actor who became a global star as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, has died. He was 86.
He died on Wednesday, 28 October, at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement posted on his Instagram account. The post said he died after “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia”, in the loving care of his wife, Sunny.
The news was reported by the BBC and the Associated Press. He is survived by his wife and his two children, Daniel and Sophie.
From Yorkshire to the Royal Shakespeare Company
Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He grew up in a poor household and later credited an English teacher with changing his life. That teacher put a copy of Shakespeare in his hands and told him to perform.
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When he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, he said he owed “literally everything” to that teacher.
After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He stayed with the company until 1982. His roles there included King John, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Henry IV.
On stage, he won two Laurence Olivier Awards. The first came in 1979 for Antony and Cleopatra. The second came in 2008, when he played Claudius in Hamlet. That role also earned him a Tony Award nomination on Broadway.
Captain Picard and global fame
For years, Stewart worked steadily in British television without becoming a household name. He played Sejanus in I, Claudius and Karla in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Then, in 1987, came the role that changed everything. He was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. At the time, the Los Angeles Times described him as an “unknown British Shakespearean actor”.
Stewart reportedly expected the show to fail quickly. Instead, it ran until 1994. He went on to play Picard in four feature films and, later, in Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023.
Professor X and a seven-decade career
In 2000, Stewart took on another iconic role. He played Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, in the Marvel film series. He returned to the character for more than two decades, including in Logan and, most recently, Avengers: Doomsday.
His other screen credits included Dune, Excalibur, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Green Room. He also voiced Avery Bullock in American Dad! and narrated the Ted films. In addition, he earned Emmy nominations for guest roles in Frasier and Extras.
Despite his Hollywood success, Stewart never left the theatre behind. He balanced blockbuster work with classical roles throughout his career.
Tributes pour in
Tributes quickly followed the news. Marvel Studios described him as “a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman”.
Star Trek’s original captain, William Shatner, said Stewart brought “intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did”. He added: “Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him.”
Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine opposite him in the X-Men films, called him a “tremendous friend and man”. “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today,” Jackman wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town, the football club Stewart supported all his life, called him a “titan of his craft”. The club said he was “fiercely proud of his Yorkshire roots”.
According to the BBC, flowers were to be placed on his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in tribute.
Read more: British Cinema Legend Terence Stamp Dies at 87
Read more: Angelos Antonopoulos, prominent Greek actor, passes away at 94
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