Sir Patrick Stewart dies at 86 after battle with dementia

Sir Patrick Stewart died Wednesday at age 86. The British actor, widely recognized for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, passed away at his home in Los Angeles.

A statement posted to his Facebook and Instagram pages indicated that Stewart died after a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.

Stewart was born in Yorkshire, England, where he grew up in a difficult environment. He described his father as alcoholic and abusive. He found refuge in school and eventually in Shakespeare, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He made his Broadway debut in 1970 in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In a 2023 interview with NPR, he stated that standing on an empty stage made him feel at home, though it took time to reach that comfort.

His transition from stage to television occurred while he was lecturing on Shakespeare at UCLA. His agent suggested he take a role in a new Star Trek series, predicting the show would likely end after its first season. Stewart recalled being told to do six months of work to make money and gain visibility before returning to the stage. He also remembered advice from actor Ian McKellen, who warned him not to take the role because he was a good stage actor.

Star Trek: The Next Generation ran for seven seasons from 1987 to 1994. Stewart became a fan favorite for his portrayal of Captain Picard, a character known for ordering Earl Grey tea and using phrases like Engage and Make it so. The success of the series limited his opportunities to play leading men in Shakespeare during that period. He later starred in an award-winning one-man production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, playing more than 40 roles.

Stewart returned to the stage in the early 2000s while also voicing characters in animated films. He joined the X-Men franchise in 2000 as Professor Xavier. He will appear one final time in that role in the upcoming movie Avengers: Doomsday. He also returned to play Picard in the streaming series Star Trek: Picard, which launched on Paramount+ in 2020. Writer Michael Chabon, who helped pitch the show, told NPR that writing words for Stewart to speak was incredible.

The new series depicted Picard dealing with the psychological effects of leaving Starfleet. Stewart’s performance in the show portrayed a character who was weary and haunted but still joyful.