'Star Trek' and 'X-Men' actor Patrick Stewart dies at 86
Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed British stage and screen actor, has died at the age of 86. He was renowned worldwide as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and as Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" film franchise.
Stewart died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. His longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said he died after a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. A statement shared on his social media carried the same information.
The spokesperson's statement said he had been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears and laughter, and that the peaceful ease and reflection on his face would be forever cherished. A family statement added that his wife, Sunny, cared for him and that family and friends were with him.
Known for his authoritative baritone voice and commanding presence, Stewart was already a staple of the British stage, renowned for Shakespeare, by the late 1980s when, at 47, he was cast as the graying Captain Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the first live-action spin-off of the groundbreaking 1960s TV series.
Over seven seasons aboard the Starship Enterprise, his even-keeled performance and steely directives — "engage!" and "make it so" — turned him into a global star. He reprised the role in four feature films: "Star Trek Generations" (1994), "Star Trek: First Contact" (1996), "Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998) and "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002).
He returned as Picard again in the TV series "Star Trek: Picard," which ran from 2020 until 2023. His role as Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" franchise brought him to another generation of audiences.
The news of the death of the actor, who remained devoted to both stage and screen across his lifetime, is still developing; no further official details beyond the family and spokesperson statements have been given.
