Sir Patrick Stewart Dead at 86

Acclaimed actor Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation, the X-Men franchise) died today at the age of 86 following a brief battle with Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.

His family posted a statement about his death to social media on October 29, a day after his death on the 28.

“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,” wrote family spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak. “We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”

A veteran of the British stage blessed with a rich, commanding voice, Stewart was 47 when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The role vaulted the Shakespearean actor to international fame. Stewart would reprise the role for the TNG films, as well as his own spin-off streaming series Picard.

Stewart was cast as Professor Charles Xavier in 2000's X-Men in part because, as director Bryan Singer once jokingly said, Stewart was perfect as a bald man sitting in a chair giving orders. He played the character in the X-Men films and later in the MCU in both Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which will mark Stewart's final screen appearance.

Born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, Stewart's other film and TV credits include Excalibur, David Lynch's Dune, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Green Room, Moby Dick, The Prince of Egypt, TMNT, The Sheep Detectives, American Dad, Ted, and I, Claudius.

For many years, Stewart played Ebenezer Scrooge in a one-man stage production of A Christmas Carol, reprising the role in a made-for-TV movie adaptation.

Stewart also voiced characters in video games such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

In lieu of flowers, his family asks fans to send memorial contributions to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.

Image Credits: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images