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LEGENDARY STAGE AND screen actor Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86.

Stewart was best known for his roles in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises as well as his extensive theatre work throughout his career.

He is to make his final on-screen film appearance as Professor Xavier in “Avengers: Doomsday,” set for release in December.

A representative announced the news on social media this evening and said he passed away “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny”.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund https://t.co/luC5CdcWDy Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources https://t.co/zvNptfyuNd Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia https://t.co/XNncEVq56X

— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) October 29, 2026

They said he passed away following “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia”. 

“He will be remembered for the dignity, compassion and humanity he brought to every role – in his art and life.”

The actor, from the northern English region of Yorkshire, acted in Britain with the Royal Shakespeare Company before heading to the US to enjoy an acclaimed career on American stage and screen.

His best-known Hollywood roles were as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in multiple “X-Men” and related Marvel films.

“His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre,” the statement said.

“He explored the human condition in all its poetic complexity and brought hope not only to the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but into science fiction’s most iconic final frontier aboard the Starship Enterprise.”

‘Make it so’

Stewart was 47 when he was cast as Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” the first live-action television spinoff of the trailblazing sci-fi series from the late 1960s.

He effectively filled the boots of William Shatner’s Captain Kirk from the original show, and the role became Stewart’s path to fame and fortune.

Picard became known for a few catchphrases including “Make it so!” Stewart’s 2023 memoir was entitled “Making It So.”

Stewart found further acclaim on the big screen in many films of the “X-Men” series, debuting in 2000 as the founder and mentor of the mutant superhero team.

“For more than 25 years, he brought a gravitas and profundity to the role, earning fans across the globe and helping to transform Super Hero storytelling forever,” Marvel Studios said.

Longtime co-star Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine, remembered Stewart as both “one of the greats of stage and screen” and “a tremendous friend and man.”

From 2020 to 2023, Stewart was tempted back to the “Star Trek” franchise, starring in the “Star Trek: Picard” television series.

He was nominated for four Emmys, but never took one home.

And even as he found success in Hollywood, Stewart’s love of theatre, and the bard in particular, never left him.

Between filming, he would return to his roots on the stage, winning two Olivier awards.

“Having spent so much of my life with Shakespeare’s world, passions and ideas in my head and in my mouth, he feels like a friend, someone who just went out of the room to get another bottle of wine,” he said.

The decorated performer also nabbed a Grammy for spoken word, for his narration of “Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf.”

Early life

Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in the small West Yorkshire town of Mirfield, the third of three brothers in a working-class family.

He grew up in the shadow of domestic violence. His father, back from World War II and perhaps suffering from PTSD, would often beat Stewart’s mother.

Stewart would later work with the charity Refuge, which specialises in domestic abuse.

The actor left school at 15 but not without the encouragement of his English teacher Cecil Dormand, who introduced him to Shakespeare and gave him his first role in a play with adults.

He studied at Bristol Old Vic Drama School beginning in 1957, making his professional acting debut two years later.

Prematurely balding, Stewart missed out on many of the young romantic leads but quickly slotted into theatre life, joining the RSC in 1966 and staying there until 1982.

Any misgivings Stewart had about taking on the Picard role in “Star Trek” were mollified by the thought it would be a one-season failure.

He was wrong.

“It changed my life,” he said.

Knighted in 2010, Stewart married three times: to Sheila Falconer, with whom he had two children including Daniel, who is also an actor, briefly to “Star Trek” producer Wendy Neuss and most recently to American singer Sunny Ozell, 38 years his junior.

Additional reporting by AFP