Sir Patrick Stewart, Celebrated Shakespearean Actor and “Star Trek” Icon, Dies at 86

London: Sir Patrick Stewart, who rose from a childhood of poverty in England to become a distinguished Shakespearean stage actor and later achieved worldwide fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” films, has died at the age of 86.

Stewart, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his services to drama, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement posted on his X account. “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,” the statement said.

From the Stage to Global Stardom

Stewart began acting at the age of 18 and earned critical acclaim as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company from the 1960s onwards. Mainstream fame, however, came only after he was cast at the age of 47 in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the sequel to the original 1960s series, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He continued acting well into his eighties.

As Picard, he became known for the catchphrases “Make it so” and “Engage,” used when instructing his crew to carry out orders.

Stewart had hesitated before accepting the role, after his longtime friend and fellow Shakespearean actor Ian McKellen advised him to turn down “Star Trek” and remain in the theatre. He nonetheless took the part and became both a fan favourite and an indispensable figure in a highly successful science-fiction franchise. He played Picard in 176 episodes across seven seasons, in several “Star Trek” feature films and in the streaming series “Star Trek: Picard,” which premiered in 2020 when he was 79.

“As the seven seasons of TNG went by, the distinction between Jean-Luc Picard and Patrick Stewart became thinner and thinner, until it was impossible for me to know where he left off and I began. So much of what I believed and felt went into that show,” Stewart told the Guardian in 2022.

A Second Blockbuster Franchise

Stewart was also initially reluctant to take on the role of the wheelchair-using telepathic mutant Professor X, based on the popular Marvel comic book character. “I said, ‘Look, I know this isn’t science fiction, but it’s fantasy, and I’ve done that.’ But they persuaded me that it wouldn’t be like ‘Star Trek,’ so I did it. And yet again I was proved wrong,” he told the Guardian.

He went on to become a central figure in another major franchise, beginning with “X-Men” in 2000 and continuing through several sequels, as well as the 2022 Marvel film “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” In a number of the “X-Men” films, he appeared alongside McKellen, who portrayed the villain Magneto.

Stewart had also filmed his role as Charles Xavier for the highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is scheduled for release in cinemas in December.

Paying tribute on Thursday, Marvel Studios described Stewart as “a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman.”