Hollywood is mourning the death of Patrick Stewart, who died on October 29 at the age of 86 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Among those remembering the legendary actor was his close friend and X-Men co-star Ian McKellen, who paid an emotional tribute to him on social media, remembering their decades-long friendship and calling him honest, warm and a man of immense talent.
Ian McKellen writes heartfelt tribute to friend
On Friday, Ian shared an emotional note on Instagram in which he remembered Patrick as someone who wore his heart on his sleeve, making him someone to admire, trust and, in his own words, love. For Ian, Patrick’s Yorkshire roots were an inseparable part of his identity. He wrote, “Above everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and raised in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England, which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and the brutal honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. There is no way Yorkshire people shy away from half-truths or big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him trustworthy, admired, and, in my case, Made me a loving person.”
Ian also recalled how they first met at the Royal Shakespeare Company as aspiring actors, although at the time they had not worked in the same production. A few years later, he met Patrick on a London street, where Patrick told him about an offer to play a leading role in Star Trek.
Recalling his reaction to the news, Ian wrote, “But Patrick, think about your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk being lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
He acknowledged that Patrick’s decision to take the role was a risk worth taking, saying, “Well, he took the risk and we all thank God for what he did, not only for his devoted Trekkies but for the film and theater audiences who marveled at his use of international celebrity to star in cinema successes (‘X-Men’) and the great classical plays of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett. Did it in Stratford-upon-Avon, London’s West End and on Broadway.”
Ian also reflected on Patrick’s life in America, which became his adopted home, and his relationship with wife Sunny Ozell. He wrote, “He (Sunny) has looked after him through thick and thin, in sickness and in health. But he never abandoned his roots, and the proudest achievement of the most respected and loved actor of his generation on both sides of the Atlantic was his appointment as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in Yorkshire. His farewell performance in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is yet to be seen.”
Friendship of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
Ian and Patrick shared one of the most memorable friendships in the entertainment industry. The two British actors first came across each other while working with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s, but their collaboration on the 2000 film X-Men brought them closer. While they portrayed archenemies Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier in the superhero franchise, their real-life relationship was marked by affection and mutual admiration.
The two bonded while working together and later collaborated on theater productions including Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land. Their friendship also extended to important personal milestones, with Ian officiating Patrick’s wedding to singer Sunny Ozell in 2013. Patrick once revealed that Ian felt like a brother to him, while Ian described Patrick as someone he could trust and admire. Their relationship remained a favorite among fans and the two often made headlines for openly expressing their affection, including sharing kisses on the lips at red-carpet events.
In addition to the first X-Men film in 2000, Ian and Patrick also starred in its sequels, X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). The two will also be seen in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to release this December.