Patrick Stewart, who played Shakespearean scholar Captain Jean-Luc Picard on TV. Star Trek: The Next Generation And in the telepathic professor Charles Xavier The X-Men movies, he died at his home in Los Angeles, aged 86, according to a statement about him.
Patrick’s X-Men co-stars Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen and William Shatner appeared alongside him in the documentary. CaptainHe paid his respects.
“Today we lost a great man of stage and screen. And, in my book, a great friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all my days,” Hugh Jackman wrote.
Sir Ian McKellen, who played Magneto opposite Stewart’s Professor X in the X-Men films, documented his first visit to Stewart’s rise on stage and screen.
“Above all else, Patrick was defined by his birth and upbringing in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England, which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his loud voice and in the stark honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. The Yorkshireman has no truck with half-truths or avoidance, which he took away from his heart on the big issues of his heart. On, praise. To do and in my case, love,” wrote Ian McKellen.
“We first met half a century ago as aspiring young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company but we weren’t in the same production. My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him on a street in central London when he told me about an offer to play the lead in ‘Star Trek.’
William Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart appeared together in a 2011 feature documentary Captain, which was written, directed and hosted by William Shatner.
He wrote, “What a heart-wrenching week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a wonderful actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought wisdom, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so was the man who worked for him and I influenced him and influenced his ad.”
“My heart goes out to Sunny and her family. She will be greatly missed.”
Stewart became an actor at the age of 18 and gained acclaim on stage in the 1960s as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. But it wasn’t until he was hired at age 47 for Star Trek: The Next Generation — a TV series that ran from 1987 to 1994 as a sequel to the 1960s Star Trek — that he achieved mainstream fame, working into his 80s.
Stewart, as Charles Xavier, took part in the filming of the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday and will appear in the Marvel film which is set to hit theaters in December.
In remembering him, Marvel Studios wrote on friends, and countless fans around the world, whose lives he touched with his art.”
All of us at Marvel Studios are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart. Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from “X-Men” to “Logan” to “Avengers: Doomsday.” He was a unique talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman. Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends and the countless fans around the world whose lives he has touched with his art.
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) October 29, 2026
Film producers Russo Brothers also paid tribute to him. They wrote, “A great actor with an unparalleled presence, and unparalleled integrity. Thank you, sir, for entertaining us all. And for teaching us humanity, on and off screen. Sending our love to your family, friends and fans around the world.”
He became Sir Patrick Stewart when he was knighted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2010. He told reporters that his heroes were British actors Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Alec Guinness, who were also knighted, adding that “being in that company is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me professionally.”
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