Patrick Stewart tributes pour in after his death at 86, as Ian McKellen calls him “most respected and beloved”

Patrick Stewart tributes have poured in from the worlds of theatre, film, television and video games since the announcement that the actor died at 86. His family said he died on Wednesday, 28 October, at his Los Angeles home after “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.” The news was made public the following day.

The most widely shared words came from Sir Ian McKellen, Stewart’s friend of five decades and his X-Men co-star. He called Stewart “the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic.”

Ian McKellen: a Yorkshireman first

McKellen’s tribute was personal rather than ceremonial. He wrote that, “before everything else,” Stewart was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, and that the county’s character showed in his voice and in “the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt.” He added that Stewart “wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and, in my case, love.”

McKellen recalled that the two were ambitious young actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also described meeting Stewart in a London street, where Stewart told him about the offer to lead Star Trek. McKellen admitted he cautioned him about the risk of getting “lost in Hollywood for years and years.” Stewart took the part anyway. “Thank goodness for us all that he did,” McKellen wrote. He said the proudest achievement of Stewart’s career was becoming chancellor of Huddersfield University. McKellen also officiated at Stewart’s 2013 wedding.

From the bridge of the Enterprise to the X-Mansion

Stewart was already an established stage actor when he was cast, at 47, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played the role for seven seasons, in four feature films, and again in Star Trek: Picard, which began in 2020. William Shatner, who also commanded the Enterprise, said Stewart brought “intelligence, grace and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did.” He added: “Captain Picard stood for the best of us and so did the man who played him.” George Takei said Stewart inspired “a whole next generation of star-gazers.”

Hugh Jackman, who starred with Stewart as Professor X’s mutant ally Wolverine, said, “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today,” and called him a “tremendous friend and man.” James McAvoy, who played the younger Professor X, said he was “lucky” to have worked with Stewart several times. Marvel Studios called him “a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman.” McKellen noted that Stewart’s final film appearance will be as Professor X in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.

Remembered on stage and in games

Colleagues from the theatre stressed that Stewart’s screen fame never displaced his classical roots. The Royal Shakespeare Company, which he joined in 1966, called him a “colossus of both stage and screen.” Ben Kingsley recalled watching Stewart rehearse Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew on his own first day at the RSC, noting the “joyful, passionate commitment to his beloved craft.” Harriet Walter, who knew him for more than 40 years, likened his loss to a “huge giant tree” falling in the forest and said she had “never heard a bad word against him.”

The gaming community has also paid tribute. Stewart voiced Emperor Uriel Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and his opening narration became one of that game’s defining moments. Publisher Bethesda called him “an emperor, a captain, and an inspiration to us all.” He also narrated the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow games. Star Trek Online players lined up spaceships in his honour. Ricky Gervais, meanwhile, shared a lighter memory of Stewart’s good humour on set.

Family and remembrance

Stewart was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, in 1940, and was knighted in 2010. He credited a former English teacher with encouraging him to perform. He is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell, and two adult children, Daniel and Sophie. His family said he died “in the loving care of his wife” and spoke of “the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.” Instead of flowers, they asked for donations to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s caregiver resources.

The Patrick Stewart tributes share a theme: he took a risk on science fiction without giving up Shakespeare, and carried both with warmth. As McKellen put it, he was “a man to rely on, to admire and … love.”

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File photo: Patrick Stewart 1999.jpg by Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.