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Less than a week after the fates took Walter Koenig from our galaxy, another “Star Trek” legend has left us: Sir Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86.
According to his spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, the beloved Shakespearean actor passed away on Wednesday (Oct. 28) at his Los Angeles home after a short struggle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all,” Bush Novak shared. “We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
The first time I ever saw Patrick Stewart was in director John Boorman’s masterful 1981 King Arthur film, “Excalibur.” As a young teenager, I was immediately captivated by his commanding presence and charisma portraying King Leodegrance of Cameliard — Queen Guinevere’s noble father and a cunning warrior.
In 1984, he entered the sci-fi realm in David Lynch’s grand and ambitious adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” in which he played Paul Atreides’ good friend and mentor, War Master Gurney Halleck.
Stewart was later cast as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation. He entranced millions of viewers in this role, traveling the final frontier with his gallant crew and redefining the brave and compassionate traits of a Federation starship commander. His adventurous journey on that popular show, a spinoff of “Star Trek: The Original Series,” ran from 1987 to 1994, encompassing 178 episodes across seven seasons confronting Klingons, Cardassians, Romulans and The Borg.
When the series ended, Stewart continued on in the Enterprise’s center seat by starring in four “Star Trek” feature films: 1994’s “Star Trek: Generations,” 1996’s “Star Trek: First Contact,” 1998’s “Star Trek: Insurrection,” and 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Stewart also reprised the role of Jean-Luc Picard in three seasons of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Picard,” which ran from 2020 to 2023.
Stewart’s prodigious talent was on further display in the hit adaptations of Marvel’s “The X-Men.” He played the powerful, wheelchair-bound telepath Professor Charles Xavier in 2000’s “X-Men,” 2003’s “X2: X-Men United,” 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and 2017’s “Logan.”
Stewart, and Xavier, were prominently featured in those films. The actor and character also appeared in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and 2013’s “The Wolverine,” and will do so again in “Avengers: Doomsday,” which will be released around Christmastime this year.
Aside from the two “Star Trek” and “The X-Men” franchise roles, Stewart had a flourishing career that spanned radio, stage and screen and was always a stellar attraction at any comic-con or other fan event around the world. Another of his many memorable projects was the compelling one-man stage show in which he played all the characters in Charles Dickens’ novella “A Christmas Carol,” captured on a two-disc CD set that I listen to each holiday season.
Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, Sir Patrick Stewart leaves behind a remarkable legacy that brought a rare gravitas and humanity to every performance he was ever involved in, and his passing leaves fans, friends and loved ones with heavy hearts. Here’s to a wonderful life well-lived!
