Absolutely devastating news has travelled across the stars: Sir Patrick Stewart, the legendary Star Trek: The Next Generation and X-Men actor, has died at 86. Stewart died yesterday in his home in Los Angeles following a brief battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
A statement from Stewart’s rep confirmed this tragic news:
“We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday 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,” the statement reads. “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. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.“
Star Trek & X-Men
Stewart started his career on the stage, partially to escape his violent father. “I managed to find my own refuge in acting,” he wrote in 2009. “The stage was a far safer place for me than anything I had to live through at home — it offered escape. I could be someone else, in another place, in another time.“
After numerous roles in British film and television, Stewart began appearing in American films, including Leondegrance in John Boorman’s Excalibur and Gurney Halleck in David Lynch’s Dune. But it was his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation that first introduced him to audiences worldwide, despite the Los Angeles Times calling him the “unknown British Shakespearean actor” when his casting was announced.
He was hesitant to take on the role and sign the multi-year contract, but he didn’t think the show would last beyond a single season. “Every single person I spoke to — agents, directors, screenwriters, other actors — said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about six years. You’ll be lucky to make it through the first year,’” Stewart recalled. “Everybody felt it was madness to try to revive an iconic series like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy‘s Star Trek. So, on the basis of that advice, I signed the six-year contract.“
But the show was a huge hit and ultimately spanned seven seasons, including four movies: Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek: Nemesis. He also reprised the role in the premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, various Star Trek video games, and in all three seasons of Star Trek: Picard.
Most actors would consider themselves lucky to have one iconic role, but Stewart found himself taking on another when he signed on to play Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men. He was absolutely perfect in the role, perfectly embodying the kind yet powerful Marvel character. He returned for X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
And So Much More…
Beyond Star Trek and X-Men, Stewart appeared in movies such as Lifeforce, Wild Geese II, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Conspiracy Theory, Masterminds, Green Room, Ted 1 & 2, Charlie’s Angels, The Kid Who Would Be King, and more.
He also lent his voice to numerous characters, such as The Plague Dogs, The Pagemaster, The Prince of Egypt, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, TMNT, The Emoji Movie, and The Sheep Detectives.
On the small screen, Stewart can be found in episodes of I, Claudius, The Simpsons, Frasier, Extras, Futurama, Robot Chicken, Family Guy, and more. He also starred in Blunt Talk, a Starz comedy series that lasted two seasons.
And one of my favourite roles of his, beyond Picard and Xavier, is Avery Bullock on American Dad. He’s just so hilarious and has been an integral part of that series since it premiered in 2005.
A True Legend
This is a profound loss. I know I’m focusing more on his Star Trek work, but so many life lessons I learned as a young child came from Captain Picard and Stewart’s powerful performances. He was a lovely human being, a magnificent actor, and a true legend. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Stewart’s family, friends, and loved ones. To say he will be deeply missed is an understatement if ever there was one. To boldly go…
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