Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed British actor who achieved worldwide fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Menfilms, has died at age 86. Stewart died on Wednesday, 28 October at his home in Los Angeles. His death was announced on Thursday through a statement on his official social media account.
According to the statement, he experienced a brief but profound time with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. He was in the care of his wife, Sunny Ozell. The family said he was surrounded by loved ones, music, prayer, tears and laughter.
Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England. He began his career on stage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. His breakthrough to international fame came in 1987 when he played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation He later reprised the role in the television series Star Trek: Picard .
He made his debut as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men in 2000 and portrayed the character across several films. Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his contributions to theatre. He also received two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award.
Marvel Studios and many of his former co-stars paid tribute to the actor. Hugh Jackman described him as one of the great names on stage and screen, as well as a special friend and mentor.
Stewart is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell, his two children and admirers worldwide.
Sources: Patrick Stewart official social media, ABC News, Associated Press
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
