Patrick Stewart, ‘Star Trek’s’ Captain Picard and ‘X-Men’s’ Charles Xavier, dies at 86
LOS ANGELES - Patrick Stewart, the English actor with impressive stage and film credits who will be remembered most for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home. He was 86.
According to a statement on his Instagram account, Stewart died after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.
Stewart and his “Star Trek: TNG” co-stars took their characters to the big screen for several films before the “Star Trek” film franchise was rebooted by J.J. Abrams with characters from the original series. He returned to the franchise for “Star Trek: Picard,” which ran from 2020 to 2023.
In the high-profile “X-Men” film franchise, Stewart played Professor Xavier opposite his good friend Ian McKellen as the villainous Magneto. He reprises the role in this December’s “Avengers: Doomsday” alongside McKellen.
In a 2008 profile describing Stewart’s return to his roots in classical theater by starring in a production of “Macbeth,” the New York Times in its mash-up headline pithily referenced the two very different paths the actor had followed in his career: “To Boldly Go Where Shakespeare Calls.”
In addition to being nominated for four Emmy awards, Stewart won three Olivier awards for his theater work and was nominated for a Tony Award.
He recently voiced Sir Ritchfield in the animated “Sheep Detectives.”
Stewart appeared in the 2015 film “Match,” based on the play by Stephen Belber, in which the actor played a vain, flamboyant dance instructor and — in a very different vein — in the Jeremy Saulnier horror-thriller “Green Room,” in which he played the leader of a band of neo-Nazis. He also starred in the Starz series “Blunt Talk,” about a substance-abusing English newscaster who moves to L.A. to host a talkshow.
Stewart continued his stage work even during the run of “Star Trek: TNG,” playing George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at the Young Vic in 1987 (he would return to the role at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theatre in 2001) and repeatedly appearing in seasonal stagings in Los Angeles and on Broadway of a one-man version of “A Christmas Carol” that he adapted himself from the original Dickens.
The actor lent his voice to a number of videogames associated with the “Star Trek” and “X-Men” franchises.
He was thrice married, the first time to choreographer Sheila Falconer, the second to Wendy Neuss, a producer of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Survivors include third wife Sunny Ozell, whom he married in a 2013 ceremony presided over by Ian McKellen, as well as a daughter, Sophie Stewart, and son, actor Daniel Stewart, both from his marriage to Falconer. (Source: Variety)