Patrick Stewart, star of 'X-Men' and 'Star Trek,' dies at 86
· Yahoo EntertainmentPatrick Stewart, the revered English actor best known for his work on Star Trek and the X-Men movie franchise, has died. He was 86.
According to a post on his X account, Stewart died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles "in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
"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," the post read. "We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
- Read more from Yahoo: Live reaction and tributes to the life and legacy of Patrick Stewart
"His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre. He explored the human condition in all its poetic complexity and brought hope not only to the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but into science fiction's most iconic final frontier aboard the Starship Enterprise," the post continued. "His professional accomplishments were humbly matched by his philanthropy and activism on behalf of human rights, survivors of domestic violence, global refugees, veterans' mental health services, and animal welfare, particularly his cherished foster puppies.
"He was a Knight, Chancellor, motor sport enthusiast, and lifelong Huddersfield Football fan," the post added. "He will be remembered for the dignity, compassion, and humanity he brought to every role — in his art and life."
In a recent interview with TV Insider, published in July, Stewart said of his career, "I can't imagine ever officially 'retiring.' I'll always and forever be an actor."
Advertisement
Advertisement
Born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Stewart grew up in poverty. He recalled in an interview with the Guardian in 2023, that the house he grew up in had no indoor toilet or central heating.
He dropped out of school at age 15 to work as a reporter at a local newspaper and then furniture salesman before enrolling in drama school in 1957.
He made his professional theater debut in 1959, eventually joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He spent the next two decades performing in both classical and contemporary productions — Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra — alongside fellow stage greats such as Ben Kingsley and Helen Mirren.
Advertisement
Advertisement
In the mid '80s, Stewart moved to Los Angeles to star in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
He later reprised the role on the big screen for a series of Star Trek films, including Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). He later starred in the sci-fi TV series Star Trek: Picard, which ran from 2020-2023.
Stewart had more than 160 credits as an actor, according to IMDB, most recently as the voice of Avery Bullock on the animated comedy series American Dad!.
He will also appear posthumously in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday on Dec. 18, as Professor Charles Xavier, a role he played in several previous X-Men films.
Advertisement
Advertisement
- Related: Patrick Stewart will return as Professor X in 'Avengers: Doomsday,' nearly 2 months after his death
Stewart was just as well known for his stage work, earning three Olivier awards for "Antony and Cleopatra" (1979), his one-man "A Christmas Carol" (1994) and "Hamlet" (2008). He appeared alongside longtime friend and X-Men costar Ian McKellen in "Waiting for Godot" on Broadway in 2014.
In 2010, Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and given the title of Sir in honor of his contributions to TV, film and theater.
McKellen was among those to pay tribute to his close friend, writing in a post on Instagram, "He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love."
Advertisement
Advertisement
"We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Stewart in X-Men, wrote in an Instagram post. "And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days."
The Royal Shakespeare Company wrote on Instagram that Stewart was "a colossus of both stage and screen and one of the finest classical Shakespearean actors of his generation."
And William Shatner, who preceded Stewart as captain of Star Trek's USS Enterprise, honored the talent and humanity that Stewart brought to the role of Picard.
"Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him," Shatner wrote on Instagram. "I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work."
(AP Photo/Rick Maiman)
Stewart had a son, Daniel, and daughter, Sophie, with his first wife, Sheila Falconer, who he married in 1966. They divorced in 1990.
Advertisement
Advertisement
In his 2023 memoir, Making It So, Stewart revealed that he had an affair with his Star Trek: The Next Generation costar Jennifer Hetrick during his marriage to Falconer, which led to their divorce and his estrangement from their children.
"We don't have relationships," Stewart told the Irish Independent during his book tour. "I never thought that this would happen, but both my children are in their 50s — they're not children anymore, they're adults. And my relationship with them is practically non-existent."
Stewart and Hetrick dated and were later engaged, but never married.
In 2000, he married Wendy Neuss, one of the show's producers. They divorced three years later, after Stewart had an affair with actress Lisa Dillon, his costar in a stage production of The Master Builder. At the time, Stewart was 62 and Dillon was 23.
Advertisement
Advertisement
"And so, another divorce. I felt stupid and responsible," Stewart wrote in his memoir. "I had cheated on my wife with a younger woman — again."
(AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
In 2008, Stewart met singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell at a restaurant in Brooklyn, where she was working as a waitress. Stewart was performing in a sold-out production of Macbeth, and gave her his phone number so he could arrange tickets for her.
"[I] said 'Call me, I can get a ticket.' And that's what we did. And she came backstage afterward and we had dinner and here we are," Stewart told People.
They were married in 2013 in Ozell's home state of Nevada in a ceremony officiated by McKellen.
Advertisement
Advertisement
However, the pair later learned that "McKellen's ordination credentials weren't accepted in Nevada," the magazine said, so they held a "last-minute wedding at a Los Angeles Mexican restaurant, which McKellen also officiated."
- Read more from Yahoo: Patrick Stewart loved Ian McKellen 'deeply.' A look back at their enduring bond.
In his 2023 memoir, Stewart compared his life to experiences to those of his Star Trek character.
"Like me, Jean-Luc has lived an unusual life that has taken him far beyond the bounds of normal human experience," Stewart wrote. "But he is also someone who has remained true to his earthbound roots, for they are what gave him his identity. In the end, he feels the call of home, as do I."