British actor Patrick Stewart, known for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the "Star Trek" series and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" franchise, has died. He was 86 years old. The Hollywood Reporter announced the actor's death.
According to his long-time representative Kelly Bush Novak, Stewart died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He had recently been battling Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. The actor's relatives asked that, in lieu of flowers at his grave, donations be made to Alzheimer's research at Johns Hopkins University.
Patrick Stewart was born in 1940 in the English town of Mirfield. He graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 26. By the end of the 1980s, the actor already had many years of experience working on the classical theatrical stage.
He gained worldwide fame for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Initially, franchise creator Gene Roddenberry did not want to see a bald British actor in the lead role, but producer Robert Justman insisted that Stewart audition.
The actor signed a six-year contract, though he himself doubted that the series would last even one season. However, the project ran for seven seasons and concluded in 1994. After this, four more feature films about "Star Trek" featuring Stewart were released.
In 2000, he played Professor Charles Xavier in the film "X-Men." His partner was Ian McKellen, who played Magneto. In total, Stewart appeared in seven films of this franchise, including the film "Logan," which was released in 2017.
The actor said he admired both of his famous characters — Picard and Xavier — for their moral principles, kindness, sensitivity, and compassion.
In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart. In 2020, he reprised his role as Captain Picard in the series "Star Trek: Picard."
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