Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor who turned Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier into two of pop culture’s most beloved characters, died Wednesday, October 28, at his Los Angeles home. He was 86. His spokesperson said he passed after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, surrounded by loved ones including his wife, Sunny Ozell.
Stewart’s career stretched across more than six decades, beginning with 14 years at the Royal Shakespeare Company before he ever boarded the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He returned to the role in Star Trek: Picard decades later, and brought Charles Xavier to the big screen starting with 2000’s X-Men. Along the way he voiced characters on American Dad! and Family Guy and appeared in favorites like The Prince of Egypt, becoming one of the rare performers beloved by every generation.
Tributes poured in from across entertainment, including Ian McKellen, William Shatner, George Takei, LeVar Burton, Hugh Jackman, Seth MacFarlane, and Marvel Studios. Burton said simply,“He was family.”Stewart’s final on-screen role comes in December’s Avengers: Doomsday.
What’s your favorite Patrick Stewart performance? Tell us in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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