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Actor Patrick Stewart Dies at 86

Did Patrick Stewart's legacy come from boldly going where no actor had gone before or from never leaving his earthbound roots behind?

5 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

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Above: Patrick Stewart attends the 84th Annual Peabody Awards at Beverly Wilshire, in Beverly Hills, California, on June 9, 2024. Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Facts

Patrick Stewart, the English actor known for "Star Trek" and the "X-Men" films, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles at age 86 following a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, his longtime spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak announced Thursday.
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People
The Associated Press
The statement said Stewart died in the care of his wife, Sunny Ozell, and asked that memorial contributions be directed to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer's Foundation of America caregiver resources.
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Actor Hugh Jackman wrote on X, "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today," while Ian McKellen said Stewart "wore his heart on his sleeve." Huddersfield Town, the football club he supported for life, called him a "titan of his craft."
Hugh Jackman on X
Sir Ian McKellen on X
BBC News
Stewart played Capt. Jean-Luc Picard for seven seasons of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994) and in four feature films, then returned to the role in "Star Trek: Picard," which ran for three seasons beginning in 2020.
Trek Core
Rotten Tomatoes
The Hollywood Reporter
He first played Professor Charles Xavier in "X-Men" and returned across the franchise in films including "X2," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and "Logan." His final appearance as the character comes in "Avengers: Doomsday," due in theaters in December.
Deadline
Rotten Tomatoes
Daily Mail
Born July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, Stewart left school at 15 to pursue local theater, joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, and made his Broadway debut as Snout in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He was knighted in 2010.
GB News
Rotten Tomatoes
The Telegraph

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The Spin

Narrative A

Greatness comes from daring to go beyond what already seems enough. At 46, Patrick Stewart risked leaving an established Shakespearean career for an uncertain future in Hollywood. The working-class Yorkshire actor became a global icon as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, while X-Men fame opened doors to leading roles in Shakespeare, Ibsen and Beckett. Ultimately, he built his legacy by going where few stage actors had gone before.

Sir Ian McKellen on X

The Hollywood Reporter

Narrative B

No matter how far he traveled, Patrick Stewart never lost touch with his roots in the soil. The working-class Yorkshireman carried the same humanity into his life that made his performances so compelling, championing survivors of domestic violence, refugees, veterans' mental health and animal welfare. From human rights activism to fostering rescue pit bulls, compassion was as central to his life as it was to his craft.

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Sir Patrick Stewart on X