▲ Actor Patrick Stewart
Actor Patrick Stewart, known for his roles as Professor X in the "X-Men" film series and Captain Picard in "Star Trek," passed away on October 28 (local time) at the age of 86.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on October 29 that Stewart, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles (LA).
Born in Yorkshire, England, in 1940, he endured an unhappy childhood due to an abusive father, but acting became his escape as he began performing with a local theater troupe at the age of 12.
Entering the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School at age 17 on a full scholarship, Stewart took to the stage for the first time two years later in "Buried hearts", and made his Broadway debut in 1971 with "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Mainly a classical theater actor, Stewart stumbled into an opportunity to leave a major mark on American pop culture by appearing in "Star Trek."
While visiting the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the invitation of a university professor friend to demonstrate Shakespearean acting, he caught the eye of a producer for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and was cast.
He rose to global stardom playing the intellectual pacifist Captain Jean-Luc Picard, turning the character's catchphrase, "Make it so," into a worldwide catchphrase.
In the 2000s, he portrayed Professor X, the spiritual mentor of the mutants in the "X-Men" series. As the "X-Men" series enjoyed long-lasting love, he starred in "Logan" (2017) and made a special appearance in "Avengers: Doomsday" (2026).
Achieving great success as an actor, he received the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II in 2001 and was knighted in 2010.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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