Patrick Stewart: Five facts about the ‘X-Men’ actor

Patrick Stewart, the English actor known for making his acting debut in Shakespearean theatre and starring in big-ticket Marvel movies, passed away at the age of 86 on October 28, 2026. Condolences have poured in from across the globe, and social media is flooded with posts remembering the legend.While best known as Professor Charles Xavier from the ‘X-Men’ and and Captain Jean-Luc Picard from ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ series and films, Stewart spent more of his career onstage than in the X-Mansion or on the USS Enterprise. From finding fame on stage to getting Knighted in 2010.Patrick Stewart death reasonStewart died at his home in Los Angeles on October 28. According to an official statement posted on his social media accounts on Thursday (October 29), Stewart passed away after a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. The statement adds that “his sonorous voice and singular talent will forever by synonymous with indelible performances in every genre.” Stewart’s diagnoses had not been previously disclosed, as per an AP report.He died just a few days after Walter Koenig, another ‘Star Trek’ icon, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov on the original NBC TV show from 1966 to 1969.Born in poverty, discovered ShakespeareStewart was ​born on July 13, 1940, in the Northern English town of Mirfield in Yorkshire. He was raised in poverty, with a father who, he said, returned from World War Two an alcoholic who suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome and physically abused Stewart’s mother.As a child, Stewart said, acting became a “safe space” after a schoolteacher introduced him to Shakespeare - specifically “The Merchant of Venice”. He did theatre in England and gained acclaim on the stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company beginning in the 1960s. He stayed for 14 years, playing everything from Mark Antony to Henry IV to Shylock to Oberon. His adoration for Shakespeare would serve him well when he began to play Jean-Luc Picard, a 24th century starship commander.Charles Xavier and Captain KirkPatrick Stewart became a pop-culture legend in his mid-40s when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, the first live-action television spinoff of the trailblazing late-1960s sci-fi series. He went on to play William Shatner’s Captain Kirk to a resounding success, both in the TV series and in several films.He was also cast as the wheelchair-using Professor Charles Xavier in multiple ‘X-Men’ and related Marvel films.“For more than 25 years, he brought a gravitas and profundity to the role, earning fans across the globe,” Marvel Studios said. Long-time co-star Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in ‘X-Men’ franchise, remembered Stewart as both “one of the greats of stage and screen” and “a tremendous friend and man.”The celebrated actor, known for his commanding voice, also voiced Poop in ‘The Emoji Movie’. He made appearances on ‘Robot Chicken,’ ‘Futurama’ and ‘The Simpsons’ (in one episode, Homer loses his hair, and Stewart tells him it’s great to be bald.) One of his last credits was with Jackman in 2026’s ‘The Sheep Detectives’, as an elderly ram. He won a Grammy in 1996 for Best Spoken Word album for his recording of ‘Peter and the Wolf.’Knighted by the Queen in 2010The iconic actor became Sir Patrick Stewart when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 2010 for his contributions to drama. He told reporters that his heroes were British actors Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud and Alec Guinness, who also had been knighted, adding that being “in that company is the grandest thing that has professionally happened to me.”Final screen appearance in DecemberPatrick Stewart will make his final on-screen appearance as Professor Charles Xavier in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which is set for release in December, with fans eagerly awaiting it. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, it stars Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and will also see Chris Evans returning as Steve Rogers. This will also be Stewart’s first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is set to release on December 17, 2026, in India and a day later in the US.(With inputs from PTI, AFP, AP and Reuters)