Patrick Stewart, the Shakespearean-trained actor best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.
A statement from Stewart’s representative said he died following “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” surrounded by his wife, Sunny, and loved ones.
“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. 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 trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and built a long career on stage before becoming a global screen star. He earned a Tony Award nomination for a 2008 production of “Macbeth,” won a 1992 Drama Desk Award for “A Christmas Carol,” and received Olivier Awards for his work in “Carol,” “Antony and Cleopatra” and “Hamlet.”
He appeared in film adaptations of “Excalibur” and “Dune” in the 1980s before taking on the role that would define him for millions of fans: Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” beginning in 1987. He continued playing the character through the series “Star Trek: Picard,” which concluded its final season in 2023.
Stewart also became known to a new generation of moviegoers as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” franchise, a role he last reprised in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
His other film credits include “Jeffrey,” “Conspiracy Theory,” “Green Room,” “The Kid Who Would Be King” and a cameo in “L.A. Story.”
As a voice actor, Stewart lent his distinctive voice to “The Prince of Egypt,” “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” “Chicken Little,” “The Sheep Detective,” a television movie of “Animal Farm,” two episodes of “The Simpsons,” and a recurring role on “American Dad!” since 2005. He also narrated the “Ted” movies and won a Grammy for his reading of Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf.”
On television, Stewart starred in “Blunt Talk,” appeared in episodes of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “The Hollow Crown” and “Frasier,” and starred in a miniseries adaptation of “Moby Dick.”
Stewart published his memoir, “Making It So,” in 2023. Throughout his career, he was an outspoken advocate for Amnesty International, survivors of domestic violence, and the veterans’ mental health charity Combat Stress, among other causes.
In lieu of flowers, Stewart’s social media accounts have asked that memorial contributions be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s Caregiver Resources.
