Hollywood legend Patrick Stewart, of ‘X-Men’ and ‘Star Trek’ fame, has sadly passed away. He was 86.The actor, who achieved global stardom as the erudite Captain Jean-Luc Picard in TV’s ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier in the ‘X-Men’ movies, reportedly died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement on his X account.
Marvel Studios honours Sir Patrick Stewart
Shortly after the news of his demise was made public, Marvel Studios released a statement honouring his legacy that began with his stint in ‘X-Men’ and will reportedly conclude with his final turn in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. The statement read, “All of us at Marvel Studios are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart. 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.”
Kevin Feige pays tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart
Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige also paid tribute to the screen legend, following the news of his passing. In a statement to variety, Feige shared, “I’ll never forget the first time I saw Sir Patrick Stewart on the set of the first ‘X-Men. After years of knowing him as the inimitable Captain Picard, I was in awe — and he turned out to be everything I had seen on screen and more: brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas. Away from the cameras, he was even more remarkable, with a wonderfully sharp sense of humor. It was a true privilege to know him and to work with him. His legacy lives on not only in decades of extraordinary work, but in the many, many people he mentored. He will be deeply missed.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s family announces his demise
A statement from his family, uploaded on his X account, revealed that the actor passed away after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. “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,” the note began.It went on to add, “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.”“A son of Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he travelled from the Royal Shakespeare Company to an equally acclaimed career spanning six decades on Broadway, the silver screen and television.”“His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre. 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.”“His professional accomplishments were humbly matched by his philanthropy and activism on behalf of human rights, survivors of domestic violence, global refugees, veterans’ mental health services, and animal welfare, particularly his cherished foster pitties. He was a Knight, Chancellor, motor sport enthusiast, and lifelong Huddersfield Football fan.”“He will be remembered for the dignity, compassion and humanity he brought to every role – in his art and life,” the note read and concluded with his quote – “Like me, Jean-Luc has lived an unusual life that has taken him far beyond the bounds of normal human experience. But he is also someone who has remained true to his earthbound roots, for they are what gave him his identity. In the end, he feels the call of home, as do I.”
About Sir Patrick Stewart’s early life
Stewart was born on July 13, 1940, in the 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. Stewart recalled putting his body between his father and mother to try to protect her.As a child, Stewart said, acting became a “safe space” after a schoolteacher introduced him to Shakespeare – specifically “The Merchant of Venice” – during a class when he was 12. He started losing his hair at age 17 and was bald by 19. He was embarrassed at the time, but eventually embraced it.He became Sir Patrick Stewart when he was knighted by the queen at Buckingham Palace in 2010. 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.”Stewart was married three times and had two children. His third marriage, in 2013, was to American musician Sunny Ozell.
