Entertainment

Patrick Stewart, Star Trek’s Captain and X‑Men’s Professor Xavier, Dies at 86

By Aaron Couch

Patrick Stewart, the actor known for his Shakespearean stage work and his roles as Captain Jean‑Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X‑Men film series, died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. Stewart’s longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said he had “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia” and that he was surrounded by family, friends, live music, prayer, tears, laughter and profound emotion. Novak added that he would be remembered for the peaceful ease and reflection on his face.

Stewart’s career began in England, where he worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. He made his U.S. debut in Excalibur (1981) and appeared in Dune (1984). In 1987, he was cast as Captain Picard after a UCLA lecture where he read Shakespeare. Despite Gene Roddenberry’s initial doubts, Stewart signed a six‑year contract and became a central figure in the series, which premiered in September 1987. The show gained popularity in 1990 with the season‑three finale “Best of Both Worlds,” and later episodes such as “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and “The Inner Light” were praised as some of the finest in science‑fiction television.

After Star Trek: The Next Generation ended in 1994, Stewart appeared in four films: Star Trek: Generations (1994), First Contact (1996), Insurrection (1998), and Nemesis (2002). He also played Professor Xavier in X‑Men (2000) and its sequels, including X‑2 (2003), X‑Men: The Last Stand (2006), X‑Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and Logan (2017). He had cameo roles in X‑Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Wolverine (2013), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and filmed a role in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (2026). In 2020, he returned to the franchise in the CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard.

Stewart was born July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, to Alfred and Gladys Stewart. His father, a World War II veteran, was a semi‑skilled laborer who later was recognized as a violent alcoholic. Stewart grew up in a difficult home environment, which led him to advocate for veterans and domestic abuse victims later in life. He began acting after leaving a journalism job at the local newspaper, The Dewsbury Reporter, and earned a scholarship to Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

His television and film work earned him several award nominations, including Emmys and Golden Globes for roles such as Captain Ahab in Moby Dick (1998), King Henry II in The Lion in Winter (2003), and King Claudius in Hamlet (2010). He also voiced Avery Bullock on American Dad! and appeared in other projects such as Blunt Talk (2015‑16) and The Sheep Detectives.

Stewart was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010. He was married three times: to Sheila Falconer (1966‑1990) with whom he had two children, Daniel and Sophia; to Wendy Neuss (2000‑2003); and to Sunny Ozell in 2013.

Patrick Stewart’s legacy spans stage, television, and film, and he is remembered for his dignified portrayals of characters who embodied morality, kindness, and compassion.