Sir Patrick Stewart passed away on October 29 at the age of 86 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Now, following his passing, one of his former “Star Trek” co-stars, Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg, has broken her silence.
The 70-year-old icon took to Instagram on October 30 to post a photo of action-figure versions of both their “Star Trek” characters. She captioned the photo, “See you on the next holodeck @sirpatstew RIP.”
Patrick Stewart’s Representative Released a Statement on His Death
According to Deadline, Stewart passed away on October 29 at his Los Angeles home following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
“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 began.
“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.”
Stewart, who was born in Mirfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in 1940, began his acting career when he left school at 15 to pursue local theater. Later, he made his professional on-stage debut in 1959 at the Theatre Royal, Bristol, performing in Cyrano de Bergerac.
After that, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 before making his TV debut in 1967 in “Coronation Street.” Then, in 1987, after some convincing, Stewart accepted the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Notably, Goldberg joined the series for its second season as Guinan, the bartender on the series and close confidant of Picard. Regarding on-screen work, some of his other most notable roles include “Logan,” “American Dad!,” “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and multiple “Star Trek” properties, including “Star Trek: First Contact” and “Star Trek: Picard.”
Patrick Stewart Previously Invited Whoopi Goldberg to Appear on ‘Star Trek: Picard’
Stewart appeared on ABC’s “The View,” where Goldberg serves as moderator, in 2020. During the appearance, he invited his former costar to appear on “Star Trek: Picard.”
“I’m here with a formal invitation; it’s for you, Whoopi,” the icon began. “Alex Kurtzman, who is the senior executive producer for ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ and all of his colleagues, of whom I am one, want to invite you into the second season.”
In reflecting on her time filming “Next Generation,” Goldberg recalled, “This was one of the great experiences — I’ve said this on the show before — but ‘Star Trek’ was one of the great experiences from the beginning to the end. I had the best, best, best time.”
“It was wonderful having you, and we cannot wait to have you again one more time,” Stewart responded. Goldberg then appeared in multiple episodes from the show’s second season.
Whoopi Goldberg Pens Short but Impactful Tribute to ‘Star Trek’ Co-Star Patrick Stewart