Patrick

Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed British actor who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died. He was 86.

Stewart died on Wednesday in Los Angeles following “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak said in a statement on Thursday.

Although best known for his film and television roles, Stewart spent much of his career onstage, performing Shakespeare and other classics.

His career included performances as Claudius and Macbeth, a one-man adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”, and West End and Broadway productions of Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” and Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” alongside longtime friend Ian McKellen.

Stewart earned some of the best reviews of his career for his 2007 portrayal of Macbeth, including his only Tony Award nomination. The Times of London described his Macbeth performance as “an enthralling creation of frailty, appetite, egotism and grim humour”.

“Nearly 50 years I’ve waited,” Stewart told the Associated Press news agency in 2008. “I learned it when I was 14. I memorized all the soliloquies just because I thought they were great. And they stuck, so I didn’t have to learn those bits of the play, which is a blessing, because learning lines has now become the one curse of this job.”

From working-class Yorkshire to Shakespeare

Raised in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, a working-class corner of northern England, the future 24th-century commander of a starship grew up without a bathroom in his house.

He joined an amateur drama group at 12 and, as a teenager, memorised Shakespeare for fun. A scholarship to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School helped launch his acting career.

Stewart, who developed alopecia at a young age, had been bald since he was 19.

His childhood was also marked by domestic violence. His father, a former regimental sergeant major in the British Army, was prone to outbursts of “repeated violence against my mother,” as Stewart wrote in a newspaper piece. “Violence is always a choice a man makes and he alone is responsible for it.”

Stewart later became a patron of Refuge, a charity supporting survivors of domestic abuse.

From Shakespeare to Captain Picard

Stewart spent 14 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing everyone from Mark Antony and Henry IV to Shylock and Oberon.

“People who were not in the company would say to me, ‘Give it a break. Why don’t you go somewhere else?’ And I would say, ‘To do what?’” he told the AP. “Telly?”

He eventually left and appeared in the 1981 film “Excalibur”. In 1987, shortly after performing in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, he was offered a role in a science fiction series.

“I found myself in Hollywood shooting a syndicated science fiction series, which I was assured would fail,” he said.

But “Star Trek: The Next Generation” ran for seven seasons and 178 episodes. Stewart became known worldwide as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, whose command, “Make it so”, became one of the show’s best-known lines.

Stewart also played Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men, beginning with the 2000 film “X-Men”. He returned to the role in several sequels, including 2017’s “Logan”, alongside Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Stewart died just days after Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original “Star Trek” series, which aired from 1966 to 1969.

Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in June 2010. He also served as an ambassador for the International Rescue Committee.

SIR Patrick Stewart secretly battled Alzheimer’s and dementia before his death aged 86.

The acting legend, best known for starring in X-Men and Star Trek, sadly passed away at his home in Los Angeles, it was revealed.

The exact timeline of his diagnosis was kept private and his secret health battle has left fans around the world devastated.

His family and spokesperson described his experience with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia as a “brief and poignant journey” and a “brief battle” before his passing.

Sir Patrick died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

He was said to be “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny”.

A post on the actor’s Instagram account added: “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.

“A son of Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he travelled from the Royal Shakespeare Company to an equally acclaimed career spanning six decades on Broadway, the silver screen and television.”

Earlier in his career, Stewart portrayed a retired intelligence agent suffering from early-stage Alzheimer’s in the 1998 independent thriller Safe House.

In his last post on Instagram around six months ago, he appeared to have a raspy voice.

Sir Patrick’s illustrious career on stage and screen spanned over 60 years.

He received numerous accolades including two Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama in 2010.

Paying tribute, Marvel Studios posted on X: “Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from X- Men to Logan to Avengers: Doomsday.

“He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.

“Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends, and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art.”

Born in Mirfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1940, his early years were defined by working-class hardship.

A young Patrick secured a grant to attend the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before joining the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966.

For decades, he was a respected but largely unheralded stage actor, mastering the works of the Bard and establishing himself as a formidable theatrical talent in the UK.

Sir Patrick’s career trajectory shifted dramatically in 1987 when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation”.

Initially sceptical about the show’s prospects, Stewart famously admitted he refused to unpack his bags for weeks, fully expecting the American sci-fi venture to fail and send him straight back to the London stage.

Instead, Picard became his defining television role.

He commanded the Starship Enterprise for seven highly successful seasons and four feature films.

Stewart conquered a second massive franchise as the telepathic mutant Professor Charles Xavier in the highly lucrative “X-Men” films.

Despite his immense Hollywood success, Stewart never abandoned his classical roots, frequently returning to the West End and Broadway to star in celebrated productions like “Macbeth” and “Waiting for Godot”.

His monumental contribution to drama was officially recognised in 2010 when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

He was last pictured watching his beloved football club as the team pay tribute to “hero” supporter.