Patrick Stewart dies after a career spanning Picard and Shakespeare
Patrick Stewart has died aged 86, his family announced. Known internationally for Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Charles Xavier in X-Men, he also maintained a long theatre career. His work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, three Olivier awards and stage collaborations with Ian McKellen accompanied the screen roles that brought him a worldwide audience.
Arts··Morning
A family announcement confirms Stewart’s death
Patrick Stewart, the actor whose screen roles included Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, has died. His work ranged from the Shakespeare stage to television and cinema, with those two characters among his internationally recognised roles.[1], [2]
He was 86. His family announced the death through his Instagram account. According to the statement, he died at home in Los Angeles on Wednesday after a brief period with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. His survivors include his wife Sunny Ozell, daughter Sophie and son Daniel.[1]
Picard returned across television and film
Stewart played Picard on The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994. Generations, First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis extended that run into feature films. He later led Star Trek: Picard, broadcast from 2020 to 2023. His X-Men collaboration with actor Ian McKellen also continued in theatre, in Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land.[1]
Shakespeare work brought three Olivier awards
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, the theatre company, in 1966, after working at Manchester’s Library Theatre. His stage career brought three Olivier awards. Playing Claudius opposite David Tennant in Hamlet earned the supporting-actor award in 2008. Stewart also developed a solo stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. His stage roles included Uncle Vanya, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice.[1]
