Actor Sir Patrick Stewart dies aged 86

British actor Sir Patrick Stewart has died in Los Angeles aged 86.

With a career spanning over 60 years on stage and screen, Stewart was best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies.

As well as his knighthood in 2010, Stewart received various industry accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Jonathan Frakes, who acted alongside Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation said in a statement to The LA Times, “There’s no one on this planet that I have acted with or directed more often than my late great friend Patrick Stewart. He will be with me forever. May he rest in Peace.”

Sir Ian McKellen, Stewart’s co-star in the X-Men films also paid tribute to the late actor. “He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love,” he said.

Marvel Studios also shared a statement on X paying tribute to Stewart. “Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans,” it said. “He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.”

Stewart’s talent and legacy extended much further than his film and TV career. He often performed a one-man rendition of A Christmas Carol and West End and Broadway runs of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, in which he was joined by good friend Sir Ian McKellen.

Some of his best reviews came with his lead participation in Macbeth. The production directed by Rupert Goold moved through London’s West End, then to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and finally to Broadway in 2008. This earned Stewart his sole Tony Award nomination.

According to a statement on his X account, Stewart passed away at his home having had a period with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, a progressive brain disorder.

RIP Sir Patrick Stewart (1940-2026)

Patrick Stewart photographed in the backyard of his Los Angeles home in 2020. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times).