Sir Ian McKellen has led tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart following his death at the age of 86, calling him "the most respected and beloved actor of his generation". Tributes to the renowned British actor have poured in since his death at his Los Angeles home after "a brief and poignant journey" with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy Body Dementia was announced on Thursday. "He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and, in my case, love," Sir Ian, Sir Patrick's X-Men co-star, said.
Famous for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek, Sir Patrick was a versatile actor who won multiple awards, balancing Hollywood roles and a career in classical theatre. William Shatner, who also helmed the SS Enterprise in Star Trek, said Sir Patrick brought "intelligence, grace and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did". "Captain Picard stood for the best of us and so did the man who played him.
I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work," Shatner added. Stewart depicted Picard in more than 170 episodes of the hit sci-fi TV series between 1987 and 1994, as well as in four feature films. He returned to the role for Star Trek: Picard in 2020.
George Takei, who played Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, said the actor "inspired a whole next generation of star-gazers who looked longingly ahead to a brighter future for all humanity". Sir Patrick would later be celebrated for his portrayal of Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise. Hugh Jackman, who starred alongside him in the franchise, called him a "tremendous friend and man", saying: "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today." Sir Ian, a longtime friend of his X-Men co-star, who officiated his wedding in 2013, said Sir Patrick was "defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire".
"You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues." Sir Ian recalled first meeting Sir Patrick as young actors in the Royal Shakespeare Company [RSC], and how he had expressed caution over him taking on the Star Trek role. "He took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did," said Sir Ian, who appeared with Sir Patrick in a 2009 theatre production of Waiting for Godot.
He added that while the US had become Sir Patrick's "adopted home", he "never forsook his origins" growing up in Yorkshire, and said "the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as chancellor of Huddersfield University". Sir Ian noted that Sir Patrick's final film appearance will be as Professor X in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film. Marvel Studios described him as "a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman".
Extract — continue reading at the source.
