Sir Patrick Stewart Passes Away After Battle With Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia
PATRICK STEWART DIES – Sir Patrick Stewart, the British Shakespearean actor who became a global star as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor Charles Xavier in “X-Men,” has died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.
He passed away on Wednesday, October 28 (U.S. time), after what an official statement on his social media accounts called a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. “His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre,” the statement read.
Born on July 13, 1940 in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Stewart grew up in a working-class family and later spoke openly about the domestic violence he witnessed at home. He went on to support Refuge, a charity that helps victims of domestic abuse.
He left school at 15, studied at the Bristol Old Vic Drama School and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, staying until 1982. He won two Olivier Awards for his stage work and a Grammy for narrating “Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf.”
His life changed at 47, when he was cast as Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” He first thought the show would fail after one season. “It changed my life,” he later said. Picard’s catchphrase “Make it so” even became the title of his 2023 memoir, “Making It So.” He returned to the role in “Star Trek: Picard” from 2020 to 2023.
In 2000, he first played Professor X in “X-Men,” a role he carried for more than 25 years. “He brought a gravitas and profundity to the role, earning fans across the globe and helping to transform Super Hero storytelling forever,” Marvel Studios said. His longtime co-star Hugh Jackman called him “one of the greats of stage and screen” and “a tremendous friend and man.”
Stewart will appear one last time as Professor Xavier in “Avengers: Doomsday,” due in cinemas in December. He was knighted in 2010 and earned four Emmy nominations during his career.
He was married three times, to Sheila Falconer, with whom he had two children including actor Daniel Stewart, to producer Wendy Neuss, and to singer Sunny Ozell. Filipino fans of “Star Trek” and the “X-Men” films joined tributes pouring in online for the actor.