Sir Patrick Stewart, Of X-Men And Star Trek Fame, Dies At 86

On Monday, Sir Patrick Stewart died at age 86 after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Deadline reports that Stewart’s representatives released a statement on Wednesday confirming his death. “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.”

“In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources,” a post from Stewart’s Instagram read. 

Stewart’s career spanned six decades on stage, in film, and on television. 

Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. After spending most of his career on stage through the ‘70s, Stewart’s breakthrough came as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Some of my earliest memories include watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my grandpa. While Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series, Picard has always been my favorite captain, and that is in large part due to Stewart’s fantastic portrayal. 

I’m a die-hard X-Men fan, and for me, Patrick Stewart will always be the definitive Charles Xavier. Stewart portrayed the role in the first three X-Men movies, Days of Future Past, Logan, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

A versatile performer, Stewart showcased his comedic skills when he joined the voice cast of Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad. It wasn’t until writing this that I realized Patrick Stewart was genuinely one of the defining actors of my lifetime. 

Heck, I’m still discovering Patrick Stewart performances as an adult. My 4K copy of Excalibur came in a few weeks ago, and I never realized that the film marked one of his earliest performances in film. If you’ve never seen Green Room, Stewart gives a chilling performance as the neo-Nazi antagonist terrorizing the punk band at the center of the film. 

He earned four career Emmy nominations in four different categories, for Moby Dick (1998), The Lion in Winter (2004), Extras (2006), and Hamlet (2010). In 2010, he was granted knighthood for his services to drama. In 2023, Stewart became a New York Times bestselling author with the release of his memoir “Making It So.” 

Beyond his talents as a performer, Stewart was a staunch advocate for social justice, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, and animal welfare. Audiences will be able to say farewell to Stewart one last time this December as he reprises his role as Professor X in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. 

I can’t lie to you folks, this one hurts. Our thoughts go out to Patrick Stewart’s friends and family. He will be missed. 

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