Patrick Stewart, an actor whose work has spanned from the Royal Shakespeare Company stage to fictional space frontiers, has died at age 86, his official X account announced Thursday.
“We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” said the post. “He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Lewy body dementia (LBD) is a form of progressive dementia that affects a person’s ability to think, reason, and process information,” and it also affected actor Robin Williams, who passed away in 2014. It is linked to Alzheimer’s disease because people who suffer from the condition can have plaques and tangles also seen in Alzheimer’s, the Alzheimer’s Association explained.
Stewart was from Mirfield, West Yorkshire in the U.K. and began acting at age 12, according to Britannica. In the 1960s, he joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company and later appeared on Broadway, in film and on television.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and follow up Star Trek projects is perhaps his best-known role. He also portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, a role he will appear in later this year when “Avengers: Doomsday” is released.
“All of us at Marvel Studios are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart,” said the movie studio in an Instagram post. “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 singular 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 touched with his art.”
According to People magazine, Stewart had two children, Daniel and Sophie, with his first wife Sheila Falconer.
“In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund https://alzresearch.org/giving/ Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources https://alzfdn.org/donate/,” said the post from Stewart’s X account.
