Patrick Stewart was mourned Wednesday by two actors whose careers became closely linked with his own: Hugh Jackman and William Shatner.
Jackman, who played Wolverine alongside Stewart’s Professor Charles Xavier in several blockbuster X-Men films, shared an emotional tribute to the acclaimed stage and screen performer. Stewart died at his Los Angeles home after what his representatives described as “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.”
The 58-year-old Logan star wrote that the world had lost “one of the greats of stage and screen,” adding that Stewart had also been “a tremendous friend and man.”
“I learned so much from him,” Jackman continued. “I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”
Jackman accompanied his tribute with a touching photograph of Stewart placing a comforting hand on his shoulder as the pair waited backstage before a performance.
A second image showed Jackman, wearing a full beard, with his arm around Stewart on what appeared to be the set of Logan.
Patrick Stewart was remembered Wednesday by two actors strongly associated with him, Hugh Jackman and William Shatner; Jackman and Stewart are pictured together in Berlin in 2017
Shatner and Stewart appeared together in Star Trek Generations in 1994, when the original series star helped hand the franchise to the cast of The Next Generation
Jackman, 58, remembered Stewart as “one of the greats of stage and screen” and “a tremendous friend and man,” adding that he had learned a great deal from him and would miss him always
Shatner, 95, posted a photograph of himself and Stewart smiling broadly as they embraced outdoors.
“What a heartbreaking week it has been,” Shatner began, referring to the death Sunday of his original Star Trek co-star Walter Koenig, who was 90.
“Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor,” he wrote. “From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did.”
Shatner added that Captain Picard represented “the best of us,” just as Stewart did in his own life. “I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work,” he wrote. “My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed.”
Shatner became famous as Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series and its subsequent films.
He and Stewart shared the screen in 1994’s Star Trek Generations, which introduced the cast of Stewart’s Star Trek: The Next Generation to the feature-film franchise.
The successful movie served as a symbolic passing of the torch. Shatner and other original-series performers handed leadership of the Star Trek films to Stewart and his fellow Next Generation cast members, who continued in the franchise after their television series ended.
Shatner described Stewart as “a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor” who brought intelligence, grace and humanity from the stage to the Enterprise; the pair are pictured embracing
Shatner wrote that Captain Picard symbolized “the best of us,” adding that Stewart would be profoundly missed; they are pictured together in Las Vegas in 2005
Star Trek Generations marked the first film to bring together the casts of the original series and The Next Generation, with Stewart pictured in the 1990 television series
Jonathan Frakes, Stewart’s Star Trek co-star, posted a photograph of the actor on Instagram Stories with the message: “Rest in peace, my friend.”
Wil Wheaton, who also appeared in Star Trek, shared an old photograph of himself with Stewart when he was young.
“Godspeed, Captain,” Wheaton wrote.
A statement posted to Stewart’s Instagram account said his “beloved” wife, Sunny Ozell, was with him during his final moments.
The English actor achieved worldwide fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He later reprised the role in several films and in Star Trek: Picard, which aired from 2020 to 2023.
He also won widespread acclaim as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, appearing in the role between 2000 and 2017.
“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the profound emotion he inspired after a lifetime devoted to us all,” the statement announcing his death said.
“We will always treasure the calm and reflective peace on his face, a lasting reminder of his extraordinary grace.”
Jonathan Frakes shared a photograph of his late Star Trek co-star on Instagram Stories, writing: “Rest in peace, my friend”
Wil Wheaton posted an old photograph of himself with Stewart and captioned it: “Godspeed, Captain”
Stewart died at his Los Angeles home after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, spokesman Kelly Bush Novak announced; pictured in June 2024
Stewart married his third wife, Sunny Ozell, in 2013; they are pictured together in 2023
“His rich, unmistakable voice and singular talent will forever be tied to unforgettable performances across every genre.”
“He examined the human condition in all its poetic complexity, bringing hope not only to the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also to science fiction’s most celebrated frontier aboard the Starship Enterprise.”
“His professional achievements were matched by his philanthropy and activism, including work supporting human rights, survivors of domestic abuse, refugees, veterans’ mental health and animal welfare, especially his beloved foster pit bulls.”
“He was a Knight, a Chancellor, a motorsport enthusiast and a lifelong Huddersfield football supporter. He will be remembered for the dignity, compassion and humanity he brought both to his performances and to his life.”
Although audiences knew him best from major films and television series, Stewart was also a classically trained actor with a deep commitment to Shakespeare.
He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and made his Broadway debut in 1971 in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
His work in the West End production of Antony and Cleopatra earned him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Over the years, he portrayed figures ranging from Claudius to Macbeth, performed a celebrated one-man version of A Christmas Carol and appeared in West End and Broadway productions of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot alongside his close friend Ian McKellen.
Stewart earned further acclaim for playing Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films from 2000 through 2017
Stewart is pictured with the Star Trek cast in 1987
He married Sheila Falconer in 1966, and they later divorced in 1990 after having son Daniel and daughter Sophia; pictured in 1992
Stewart’s second wife was Wendy Neuss; they are pictured together in 2002
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in 2010 for his services to drama.
He married three times and is survived by two children. His first marriage, to Sheila Falconer, began in 1966 and ended in divorce in 1990. The couple had a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Sophia.
His second wife was Wendy Neuss, a producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation. They married in 2000 and divorced three years later.
Stewart’s third and final marriage was to singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, 47. They married in 2013.
In a 2015 interview with The Mail on Sunday’s Event magazine, Ozell said she had approached meeting Stewart’s children from his first marriage with particular care.
“That was territory I trod on very lightly,” she said. “I didn’t want to force myself on them, but they were very welcoming.”
Ozell also said the couple’s age difference had never been an issue. “He is so youthful and I’m probably an old worrywart, so we bridge the gap. It doesn’t come up much. He’s in better shape than me, which infuriates me.”
Stewart once reflected on his own age by saying: “I remember my 40th birthday vividly and I swear to God it was last week. I have a little arthritis, but I don’t feel any different.”
The couple met through a mutual friend in 2008, while Ozell was working as a waitress in New York.
They wed in September 2013 beside Lake Tahoe in Nevada, with Stewart’s close friend and fellow actor Sir Ian McKellen officiating.
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From left: Stewart’s son Daniel, daughter Sophia, Stewart and his former wife Wendy in July 2001
Stewart married Sunny Ozell beside Lake Tahoe in September 2013, with Sir Ian McKellen officiating; Stewart and McKellen are pictured in London in 2020
McKellen became a minister through the Universal Life Church, which supports religious freedom, so he could conduct Stewart and Ozell’s Lake Tahoe wedding ceremony.
Stewart recalled feeling an instant attraction when he first met Ozell.
“When she came over to offer us dessert on the house because her manager had insisted, we started talking,” he said.
“She very kindly said she wanted to see Macbeth, and then I gave her my mobile phone number.”
“Instinct is everything in a situation like that,” Stewart said, noting that he had only recently divorced Neuss.
“I felt I was speaking to a really nice, intelligent, interesting and gorgeous woman. It’s rare for all of those qualities to come together at once.”
Stewart began acting professionally at 12, performing in playhouses throughout England before making his London stage debut in 1966 and touring with the Old Vic company.
That same year, he joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company. His first Broadway appearance came in 1971, when he played Snout in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, beginning a 27-year association with the organization.
Stewart holds his award for A Christmas Carol at the 1994 Olivier Awards
The actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 1996
Stewart’s passion for Shakespeare began when his English teacher, Cecil Dormand, gave him a copy of The Merchant of Venice.
Speaking to The Guardian in 2021, Stewart recalled: “I barely understood a word, but I loved the feel of the words and sounds in my mouth. A 400-year-old writer reached out a hand and invited me in. I felt something private and hidden inside me being released and connecting with something mysterious, alien and exciting. I was hooked.”
Stewart credited Dormand with rescuing him from what he described as a difficult and sometimes frightening childhood home dominated by an abusive father. Shakespeare, he said, offered him hope and an escape.
Dormand urged him to pursue acting and even paid for his first formal lessons. Stewart remained grateful throughout his life, often considering how different his future might have been without that teacher’s encouragement.
For the first 25 years of his career, Stewart remained primarily a stage actor, although he picked up several small film roles in Britain and the United States from 1973 onward.
“All I know is that I have to act,” he once said. “It’s a compulsion. I’m driven to it. I wouldn’t say I would die if it were taken away, but a large part of me would shrivel.”
His international breakthrough arrived in 1987, when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Stewart was so certain the role would not last that he left his luggage unpacked for six weeks, convinced he would not make it beyond the pilot episode.
“I thought the producers would realize they had made a terrible mistake by casting me,” he said. “Eventually, it became clear that I wasn’t going away and neither was the series. I stayed and have enjoyed every moment.”
Picard made Stewart a household name. His polished voice and commanding presence helped establish him as the emotional center of The Next Generation.
He returned as Picard in a series of successful Star Trek films, including Star Trek: Generations in 1994, Star Trek: First Contact in 1996, Star Trek: Insurrection in 1998 and Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.
Stewart played Claudius in Hamlet in 2008, earning his third Laurence Olivier Award
Queen Elizabeth II knighted Stewart in 2010 for his contribution to drama
A proud Yorkshireman and lifelong Huddersfield Town supporter, Stewart was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, on July 13, 1940. His mother was textile worker Gladys Barrowclough, while his father, Alfred Stewart, served in the army.
He found school difficult and later said much of his childhood was marked by fear because of his father’s violence and abuse.
Beyond Star Trek and the X-Men films, Stewart appeared in projects including Masterminds, The Simpsons and A Christmas Carol. He was also considered for roles in Doctor Who: The Movie and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with the part of Willy Wonka ultimately going to Johnny Depp.
His precise British diction also made him a popular voice performer. He lent his voice to animated films including Gnomeo and Juliet, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return and The Emoji Movie.
Despite his screen success, Stewart continued returning to Shakespeare. His acclaimed performance as Macbeth earned him a Tony Award nomination.
In 2008, he played Claudius in Hamlet and collected his third Laurence Olivier Award. Two years later, he received his knighthood.
At the ceremony, Stewart described the honor as a tribute to the actors, directors and creative teams who had filled his life with “inspiration, companionship and sheer fun.”
