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    Patrick Stewart Remembered as “That Rare Actor” in Tributes from Ian McKellen, William Shatner, Seth MacFarlane, and More

    James EvendenBy 6 Mins Read



    Sir Patrick Stewart, the beloved British actor whose career stretched from Shakespearean theater to Star Trek and X-Men, has died at the age of 86. Following news of his death, fellow actors, collaborators, and admirers have begun paying tribute to a performer whose commanding voice, unmistakably elegant presence, and remarkable range made him one of the most recognizable figures in entertainment.

    Stewart died on Wednesday, October 28th, at his home in Los Angeles, following a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to a statement from his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak. He was surrounded by loved ones, including his wife, Sunny Ozell.

    Over a career spanning more than six decades, Stewart became a household name as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role he later revisited in the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard. He also introduced Professor Charles Xavier to the big screen in 2000’s X-Men, returning to the character throughout the franchise. Beyond those defining performances, Stewart was an accomplished stage actor, spending 14 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and sharing the stage with his longtime friend Ian McKellen in productions of Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land. Beyond that, he built an impressive body of voice acting work, lending his unmistakable baritone to everything from The Prince of Egypt to American Dad!, where he embraced the comedic as CIA director Avery Bullock.

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    Sir Ian McKellen, Stewart’s close friend and collaborator, penned a lengthy tribute to Instagram. “We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions. My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in Star Trek. ‘But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk—getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?’ Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences, who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (X-Men of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.”

    William Shatner, who himself portrayed a legendary Star Trek captain, called Stewart a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work.”

    “Fans across the world mourn the passing of a true and irreplaceable legend. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart took the starship Enterprise to places it had never gone before, and he inspired a whole next generation of star-gazers who looked longingly ahead to a brighter future for all humanity. Our hearts are heavy, indeed. Rest in the heavens, Captain,” added fellow Star Trek actor George Takei.

    LeVar Burton, who co-starred with Stewart on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard, and four Star Trek films, told Variety, “He was family. There is no other context in which to hold him that makes sense. I am lucky to have known and loved so many of the facets of a soul so rich in talent and generous of heart. Of all the Dames and Knights I’ve known he was deep down-the silliest.”

    “He was that rare actor who could take any bit of dialogue and elevate it, making a good writer sound great, and a great writer sound masterful. He was also as humble as they come,” wrote Seth MacFarlane, who commissioned MacFarlane for voiceover work on shows like American Dad, Family Guy, and Ted.

    Marvel Studios honored Stewart, who brought to life Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, by calling him “a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman.”

    Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige offered his own tribute, writing, “I’ll never forget the first time I saw Sir Patrick Stewart on the set of the first X-Men. After years of knowing him as the inimitable Captain Picard, I was in awe — and he turned out to be everything I had seen on screen and more: brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas. Away from the cameras, he was even more remarkable, with a wonderfully sharp sense of humor.”

    “It was a true privilege to know him and to work with him. His legacy lives on not only in decades of extraordinary work, but in the many, many people he mentored. He will be deeply missed,” Feige added.

    Stewart’s final on-screen role will come this December in Avengers: Doomsday.

    Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside Stewart in the X-Men films, wrote on social media, “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”

    This post will be updated as more tributes come in.





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