British actor Patrick Stewart died at the age of 86 on Wednesday in his Los Angeles home, according to his management, which announced the passing on Thursday.
Stewart began his career on stage, participating in the Royal Shakespeare Company, before making his mark in Hollywood. He gained worldwide recognition for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He later portrayed Captain Picard in several Star Trek films. Additionally, Stewart played the role of Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” film series. Although he initially hesitated to commit to a long film franchise, he was convinced by the collaboration with director Bryan Singer and featured in several subsequent movies.
Throughout his life, Stewart received numerous accolades. In 2001, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to acting and cinema, and he also received an honorary membership from the University of Wales, Cardiff, that same year. His academic career was equally distinguished; he served as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in 2004 and later as a Professor of Performing Arts in 2008. He stepped down as Chancellor in 2015, becoming Chancellor emeritus.
Further recognition followed. In 2010, Stewart was appointed a Knight Bachelor, and the following year, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of East Anglia. In 2012, he carried the Olympic torch as part of the official relay for the London Summer Olympics. He received another honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2015. From 2017 to 2021, Stewart held a Guinness World Record with Hugh Jackman for the longest career as a Marvel Comics superhero in a live-action format.
