Sir Patrick Stewart dies aged 86: a tribute to a great Shakespearean of the stage

Sir Patrick Stewart has died aged 86. A post on his Instagram said he died on Wednesday in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his wife Sunny, following "a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia".

Around the world he was Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Professor Charles Xavier. To theatregoers he was something more lasting: a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company who appeared in more than 60 of its productions, a three-time Olivier Award winner and a Tony Award nominee.

Where did his stage career begin?

He was born in Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire on 13 July 1940, and his passion for drama began at school, where he was introduced to Shakespeare. "I used to recite Shakespeare from memory," he said. "I just learned all these big speeches."

When he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, he said he owed "literally everything" to his former English teacher who first encouraged him to perform. He went on to join the RSC, where he performed in more than 60 productions.

Which stage awards did he win?

Sir Patrick Stewart won his first Olivier Award for his performance in Antony and Cleopatra in 1979, and received a second for playing Claudius in Hamlet. His third came for his solo adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, in which he portrayed more than 40 characters. That production also earned him one of his four WhatsOnStage Awards.

His stage credits also included Macbeth, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.

What did he share with Ian McKellen?

Few stage pairings were loved quite like his with Ian McKellen. Together they played Harold Pinter's No Man's Land and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, and when the Pinter came to London, Stewart remembered seeing the original production three times in one week: "I made a promise to myself that one day I would play Spooner or Hirst but to be doing it back at Wyndham's with Ian McKellen was a fantasy I never entertained." You can read more in our story on their UK tour of the Pinter.

The friendship went beyond the stage. McKellen officiated at his 2013 wedding to Sunny Ozell.

How did he become a screen star?

On television he became an international star as Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran for seven series. He reprised the role in several films, starting with Star Trek Generations in 1994, and returned to the character in Star Trek: Picard, which premiered in 2020 and on which he also served as an executive producer.

His film career took in seven instalments of the X-Men franchise as Professor Charles Xavier, and his performance in Logan earned a Critics Choice Award nomination. Marvel Studios said it was deeply saddened by his death, describing him as "a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman".

How is he being remembered?

A lifelong supporter of Huddersfield Town, he was called a "titan of his craft" by the club, which said his legacy would live on.

Sir Patrick Stewart is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell, and his children, Sophie Stewart and Daniel Stewart.

What else should readers catch up on?

For more on his great friend and fellow actor, read about Ian McKellen's King Lear transfer to London.