Patrick Stewart, the ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men’ star, dies at 86

Sir Patrick Stewart, the British actor who became Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, has died at 86. He died at his home in Los Angeles on October 28, following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, his representative said.

For millions of viewers, Stewart was the ageing bald-headed captain of the USS Enterprise, a man who could settle an argument with a measured sentence. For others, he was Professor X, or Charles Xavier (pronounced: Charles-ic Xavier), the wheelchair-using, calm-headed, reasoned face of the mutant populace in the Marvel Universe. Stewart played both men for decades. Yet long before Hollywood discovered him, Stewart had made his name as a Shakespearean actor, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and bringing his voice to the stage that would later define his screen roles.

His death comes just weeks before audiences were due to see him return as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday, the upcoming Marvel film scheduled for release in December. It will be his final appearance in a franchise that helped make him one of the most recognisable faces in cinema.

Born on July 13, 1940, in Yorkshire, Stewart grew up in a working-class family. His father, who served in World War II, struggled with alcoholism and was physically abusive. Stewart would later speak about the violence he witnessed at home. This was here when acting offered him an escape. A schoolteacher introduced him to Shakespeare when he was 12, and he soon became absorbed in the theatre.

He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and spent years performing in classical plays. He played Shakespearean characters, including Macbeth in the eponymous work and King Claudius in Hamlet, building a reputation as a serious stage actor long before Hollywood came calling. He also worked on Broadway and the West End.

Then in 1987 at the age of 47, Stewart landed a role that changed his life—he was cast as Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a spin-off of the original Star Trek. He was not a science-fiction fan and initially knew little about the franchise. Yet his performance gave the series a distinctive voice, attracting a new generation of viewers. Picard was a disciplined man, guided by a belief in diplomacy. “Make it so”—and he would command a spaceship without raising his voice.

The series ran for seven seasons, from 1987 to 1994, and Stewart reprised the role in several films and, much later, the television series Star Trek: Picard. In 2022, Stewart told the Guardian that the distinction between himself and Picard had gradually blurred. “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,” he said. “So much of what I believed and felt went into that show.”

Then in 2000 came X-Men, where he appeared as Professor Charles Xavier, another character that has become synonymous with him. Professor X was a powerful telepath who founded a school for mutants and sought peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants—especially in a world where the latter were considered outcasts. The films gave Stewart a different kind of authority. While Picard seemed like a principled idealist, Xavier was more of an emotional being—a teacher and mentor, whose faith in humanity was repeatedly tested, especially by his former closest friend-turned-rival Magneto, played by Stewart’s close friend Sir Ian McKellen.

Stewart appeared in several films in the franchise, including X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Logan. He returned briefly as Xavier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022. His decades-long friendship with McKellen also became a favourite among fans. The two actors had a long association off screen, including their work together in theatre.

Stewart was initially hesitant when offered the role of Professor X. “I said, ‘Look, I know this isn’t science fiction, but it’s fantasy, and I’ve done that,’” he told the Guardian. But, he was persuaded for the role and ended up taking it. “And yet again I was proved wrong.”

The two franchises might have defined his public image, but they were only part of a career spanning more than six decades. Stewart appeared in films such as Excalibur (1981), Dune (1984) and LA Story (1991), as well as television dramas and comedies. He voiced the CIA Deputy Director Avery Bullock in the animated comedy American Dad! and played Ebenezer Scrooge in a television adaptation of A Christmas Carol (1999).

He continued to work on stage throughout his career. In 2008, his performance in Hamlet earned him an Olivier Award nomination in London, while his Broadway career brought further recognition. He also performed Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land alongside McKellen.

Stewart was a stage actor who found fame in outer space and among superheroes. But he never quite left the stage behind.