Veteran British actor Patrick Stewart has died at the age of 86, it has today been announced.
A post on Stewart’s official Instagram account broke the news, revealing with “great sorrow” that the prolific film, theatre and television star had died at home after a “brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia.”
The statement shared that Stewart, perhaps best known for his role as Star Trek captain Jean-Luc Picard, was “in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny” when he passed.
News that Stewart was privately unwell will come as a shock to many, given his death comes just six weeks before the release of his next film project, the blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday.
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“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,” the statement read.
Friends and colleagues, among them Hugh Jackman and William Shatner, are today paying tribute to Stewart. Aussie actor Jackman remembered his late X-Men co-star as “a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him.”
“I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days,” he wrote.
With a career spanning more than 60 years, Stewart‘s first big break came when he was made a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. In 1979, he received a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in Antony and Cleopatra in the West End.
His TV career began in 1967 with a role on the British soap Coronation Street, and twenty years later brought him a new level of fame when he took on the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He would go on to lead 176 episodes of the iconic sci-fi series.
Across more than 50 film credits, he also starred in several Star Trek movies, and had a key role in one of the biggest film franchises of the 21st century, playing Professor Charles Xavier across the X-Men series.
Stewart was also a prolific voice actor, showcasing his talents on animated hits like The Simpsons, American Dad and Family Guy.
And it appears that, despite his illness, Stewart was working right up until the end: He will reprise his role as Professor Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday, which will now serve as a posthumous release when it hits cinemas in December.
Stewart married three times during his life and had two children. He wed third wife Sunny in 2013, and they stayed together until his death.
Stewart’s family asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions could be made to Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
Stewart’s death comes days after the death of another actor from the Star Trek universe: Original Star Trek cast member Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov, died at age 90 last weekend.
Fellow Star Trek lead William Shatner appeared to note the two deaths from the franchise in his tribute to Stewart, writing: “What a heartbreaking week it has been… My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed.”