Beloved ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ Legend Patrick Stewart Passes Away at 86: Our Hearts Go Out

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Patrick Stewart dies at 86

Patrick Stewart, the celebrated British actor who captivated generations as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died. The acclaimed performer was 86.

His representative said Stewart died Wednesday, October 28, at his Los Angeles home, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, Patrick became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors, earning admiration for his work on stage, television and film.

Patrick Stewart, Beloved ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ Actor, Dies at 86

Years before he sat in the captain’s chair, Stewart was a classically trained stage actor. According to Wikipedia, he spent 16 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, from 1966 to 1982, building his theater career long before Star Trek.

In 1987, he began playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, taking command of the USS Enterprise in a franchise previously defined by William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk.

The job did not come easily. Stewart has said Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry rejected him at his audition, recalling the creator saying, “What the hell? I don’t want a bald, middle-aged Englishman,” according to Trekmovie.com.

Others doubted the show’s chances, too. Stewart said people he consulted before taking the role warned him he would be “lucky to make it through the first year.”

“Everybody felt it was madness to try to revive an iconic series like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy’s Star Trek,” he recalled in a 2010 interview with StarTrek.com.

The series ran for seven seasons, from 1987 to 1994, and Men’s Journal says it established Stewart as an international television star.

The Next Generation ended in 1994, but Picard kept going. Stewart played the captain in four films, including Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, and Star Trek Nemesis.

In 2020, he returned to the role in Star Trek: Picard, nearly two decades after his last Star Trek film. The show’s final season in 2023 brought him back together with Next Generation co-stars including Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner.

Patrick Stewart Became a Hollywood Icon With ‘Star Trek’

After “The Next Generation” succeeded, Patrick continued portraying Picard in several feature films, including “Star Trek Generations,” “Star Trek: First Contact,” and “Star Trek Nemesis.”

He returned to the role decades later in “Star Trek: Picard,” which ran from 2020 to 2023.

The series reunited him with several longtime castmates, including Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Brent Spiner.

Despite his association with science fiction, Patrick never abandoned his theatrical roots.

Born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, on July 13, 1940, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and spent decades performing classical theater, per The New York Times.

Patrick Stewart Also Played Professor X in ‘X-Men’

Patrick found another generation of fans when he portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the original “X-Men” movie in 2000.

His portrayal of the compassionate mutant leader became a defining part of the superhero franchise. He reprised the character in several films, including “X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and “Logan.”

Patrick also appeared as a version of Professor X in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

His work earned numerous honors, including two Olivier Awards and a Grammy, along with Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that in 2010, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him for his contributions to drama.

Patrick Stewart Previously Spoke About Never Retiring

Months before his death, Patrick reflected on his passion for acting. In an interview with TV Insider published ahead of his 86th birthday, he made it clear he hadn’t planned to retire.

“I can’t imagine ever officially ‘retiring.’ I’ll always and forever be an actor,” he said.

His recent projects included “The Sheep Detectives,” and he had been announced as returning to the Marvel universe in “Avengers: Doomsday.”

Patrick married singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell in 2013. He also had two children, Daniel and Sophia, from his first marriage to Sheila Falconer.

From Shakespeare’s stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, Patrick’s work reached audiences worldwide, leaving behind characters that remain beloved decades after their first appearances. This is indeed a heavy loss!