Patrick Stewart, Captain Picard and Professor X Actor, Dies at 86

In brief

• British actor Patrick Stewart has died at 86 in Los Angeles after an illness linked to Alzheimer's disease, his spokesperson said.
• He was known for Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
• Stewart began in British theater and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966.
• Actors and filmmakers, including Hugh Jackman and William Shatner, paid tribute.

Death in Los Angeles

Patrick Stewart died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles, his spokesperson said (Trauer um britischen Schauspieler: Patrick Stewart gestorben – tagesschau.de). According to the announcement, he died after an illness linked to Alzheimer's disease and was surrounded by family and friends, with live music and prayer in the room (Muere el legendario actor Patrick Stewart a los 86 años – Expansión).

From Yorkshire to the Royal Shakespeare Company

Stewart was born in 1940 in Mirfield, in northern England. As a teenager he acted with youth theater groups before studying at a drama school in Bristol. He built his early career in British theater. In 1966 he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he stayed for many years (Patrick Stewart, X-Men And Star Trek Actor, Dies At 86 – Forbes). He was trained as a Shakespearean actor and was knighted in 2010 (Patrick Stewart, a perceptive patriarch in 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men,' dies at 86 – NPR).

Star Trek and X-Men

Stewart became known worldwide as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise, including The Next Generation and the later series Picard (Patrick Stewart, star of 'Star Trek' and 'X men', dies age 86 – France 24). He later played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise (The World Mourns the Loss of the Great Sir Patrick Stewart – Gizmodo). Fellow actors and filmmakers, including Hugh Jackman and William Shatner, publicly mourned him on social media.

Tributes

Fans and colleagues described him as one of the most versatile actors of several generations. NPR noted that many of his best-known roles were paternal leaders who brought together groups of outsiders, a contrast to a difficult childhood with an abusive father.