Stage and screen legend Patrick Stewart died on Thursday, aged 86.
The actor died on Wednesday in Los Angeles, following “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia, spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak said.
His diagnoses had not been previously disclosed.
Just a few months before his death, Sir Patrick sat down for what would eventually be his final interview. In July, he spoke to TV Insider for the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, shunning retirement rumours and talking about his enduring love for performing.
A Shakespearean actor originally, Patrick Stewart gained worldwide fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek films and the Next Generation TV series in the 80s. Having fresh voices to tell these new stories is critical, and I’m thrilled any time I get to meet a new member of the Star Trek tribe. He would reprise it in half a dozen films, most recently in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Post-pandemic, even in his 80s, Sir Patrick reprised both of his iconic roles. He returned to Picard in Amazon Prime Video’s series, Star Trek: Picard, which he led for three seasons. He is set to return as Charles Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday, his final film appearance. I can’t imagine ever officially “retiring. I’ll always and forever be an actor. He is also survived by two children, a daughter, Sophia, and a son.
In 2000, Sir Patrick took on another iconic role – Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. Patrick Stewart is survived by his wife, Brooklyn songwriter and singer Sunny Ozell, whom he married in 2013, with the actor’s X-Men co-star Ian McKellen officiating.
Talking to TV Insider about his popular role and its impact, he had said, “The enduring power of Star Trek and its values continues to reach new generations, and I’ll always cheer on new series and new adaptations of this story. Talking about continuing to act in his mid-80s, the veteran actor had said, “As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older. That being said, I still continue to receive interesting offers and I love being challenged by new work, like voicing a pig’s head in Riz Ahmed‘s brilliant new series Bait.
