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Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men Star, Dies at 86
RePatrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men Star, Dies at 86
British actor known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men died at his home in Los Angeles after battling Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at the age of 86. His family announced his death in a statement shared on his official Instagram account, saying he died at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by loved ones and cared for by his wife, Sunny, after a brief and difficult illness.
The statement said Stewart had been living with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Family spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak wrote that he had 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 message added: "We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace." The family also asked fans to send memorial contributions to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
Stewart built his reputation as a veteran of the British stage before becoming one of the most recognizable figures in American science fiction and superhero film. He was 47 when he was cast as Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role that brought him international fame. The series ran from 1987 to 1994, and after it ended he returned to the character in several Star Trek films and in the streaming series Star Trek: Picard. In 2000, he took on the role of Charles Xavier in X-Men, and he later reprised the character across the franchise and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. His final screen appearance is set to come in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
Beyond his live-action work, Stewart was known for his distinctive voice. He appeared in video games including The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone and Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. His voice work also extended to animated and family projects such as The Prince of Egypt and American Dad. He narrated the Ted films, a role his friend Ian McKellen later took over for the recent Ted series on Peacock. For many years, Stewart also performed Ebenezer Scrooge in a one-man stage production of A Christmas Carol and reprised the role in a made-for-TV adaptation.
Born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Stewart began his career in theater before reaching a global audience through television and film. His other credits include Excalibur, David Lynch's Dune, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Green Room, Moby Dick, TMNT, The Sheep Detectives and Ted. His death marks the loss of an actor whose work spanned classical stage roles and some of the most widely watched science fiction and fantasy franchises of his era.
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