Sir Patrick Stewart, star of Star Trek and X-Men, dies aged 86
The Yorkshire-born actor, who played Captain Picard and Professor X after a long stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, died at his home in Los Angeles.
Sir Patrick Stewart has died aged 86. His death, on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles, was made public on Thursday. A statement from his spokesperson said he had Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
To television audiences he was Captain Jean-Luc Picard, commander of the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994. He took the part into four feature films, then returned to it in the series Star Trek: Picard, which began in 2020. He was also Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
From Mirfield to Hollywood
He was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, in 1940, and was a Shakespearean actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company long before Star Trek made him a global star.
Sir Ian McKellen, a longtime friend and his X-Men co-star, called him the most respected and beloved actor on either side of the Atlantic and said Yorkshire defined him. William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, called him a friend, a colleague and a magnificent actor.
He appears as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday, due in December.
