Patrick Stewart, Star Trek’s Captain Picard, Dies at 86

Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor best known around the world as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died at the age of 86. The news that Patrick Stewart dies was announced on Thursday, October 29, a day after his death at his home in Los Angeles.

His family said Stewart died on Wednesday, October 28, in the loving care of his wife Sunny, following what it described as a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. The announcement was shared on his social media account and confirmed by his spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak.

FAKTA

• Sir Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86.
• He died on Wednesday, October 28, at his home in Los Angeles.
• His family said he had Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
• He played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” from 1987 to 1994.
• He played Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, beginning in 2000.
• He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his services to drama.

What was announced

“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 said, according to Reuters.

CNN, citing spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, reported that Stewart died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday night and that both conditions are progressive brain disorders with no cures.

Patrick Stewart dies: from Shakespeare to Star Trek

Stewart was born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, in northern England. He became an actor at 18 and built his reputation on the stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which he joined for its 1966 season and remained with until 1982, playing leading roles in plays including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Merchant of Venice” and “The Winter’s Tale”.

Mainstream fame came later, when he was hired at 47 to play Captain Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He played Picard in 176 episodes over seven seasons, in several “Star Trek” films, and again in the streaming series “Star Trek: Picard”, which ran from 2020 to 2023. His catchphrases “Make it so” and “Engage” became part of popular culture.

He later became a central part of another major franchise as Professor X, the telepathic founder of the X-Men, beginning with “X-Men” in 2000. He continued working into his 80s and was set to appear again as Professor X in the forthcoming “Avengers: Doomsday”.

Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the role that made him a global star. (File photo)

Tributes from co-stars

William Shatner, who led the original “Star Trek” series, described Stewart as “a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor” who “brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did”.

Marvel expressed its condolences, remembering Stewart as a “singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman”. Stewart was knighted in 2010, an honour he later described as the grandest thing that had professionally happened to him. He was married three times and had two children; his third marriage, in 2013, was to American musician Sunny Ozell.

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A career remembered

Stewart’s career spanned more than six decades, from Shakespearean stages to two of the most enduring franchises in film and television. As Picard, he played a thoughtful, disciplined captain; as Professor X, a mentor striving for peace. Both roles, built on the stage-trained authority he carried throughout his life, are how millions of viewers around the world will remember him.