Patrick Stewart, the classically trained actor who brought Shakespearean gravitas to the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, has died at the age of 86.
Stewart died in Los Angeles on Wednesday following what his spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, described as “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. His health conditions had not previously been disclosed, reports AP.
Paying tribute on social media, his frequent X-Men co-star Hugh Jackman wrote, “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days”.
Although best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek, The Next Generation television series and films, and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, Stewart spent much of his career on stage.
His extensive theatrical career included roles ranging from Claudius to Macbeth, as well as regular solo performances of A Christmas Carol. He also appeared in West End and Broadway productions of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, performing in repertory alongside his close friend Ian McKellen.
In a social media tribute, McKellen wrote, “He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love”.
Throughout his distinguished career, Stewart won three Olivier Awards, including one for his portrayal of Claudius in Hamlet, opposite David Tennant. He also won a Grammy in 1996 for best spoken word album for his recording of Peter and the Wolf.
Some of the greatest critical acclaim of his career came when he first took on the lead role in Macbeth. Directed by Rupert Goold, the landmark production opened at England’s Chichester Festival Theatre in May 2007 before transferring to London’s West End. It later moved to the Brooklyn Academy of Music and eventually opened on Broadway in 2008.
