Patrick Stewart dead at 86

British actor Patrick Stewart, best known for his roles in Star Trek and X-Men, died on Wednesday at the age of 86.

Stewart had been battling Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to his wife, Sunny.

“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,” she said.

Stewart was born in Mirfield, England, on 13 July 1940, into a family affected by domestic violence and alcoholism. The youngest of three sons, his father, Alfred Stewart, was a British military veteran. His childhood experiences would later inspire his lifelong advocacy for survivors of domestic abuse and military veterans.

Stewart developed an interest in acting at the age of 12, when he was cast as Shylock in a school production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

He briefly worked as a journalist before pursuing acting professionally, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 26.

During his career, Stewart performed in productions of Macbeth, Othello, The Tempest and Antony and Cleopatra, taking on some of Shakespeare’s most celebrated roles.

While conducting a Shakespeare masterclass in Los Angeles, Stewart caught the attention of a casting director for Star Trek.

He went on to portray Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role that propelled him to international fame.

Stewart reprised the character in four feature films and later returned to the role in Star Trek: Picard, which premiered in 2020 and ran until 2023.

He also gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise, reprising the role across several films.

Throughout his career, Stewart received numerous accolades for his work in theatre, television and film. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for his services to drama.

Stewart was married three times and had two children, Daniel and Sophia.