Patrick Stewart's friends, colleagues, and fellow actors are paying tribute to the late thespian, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86. In the wake of Stewart's death, heartfelt tributes have poured in across social media, including a heartbreaking remembrance from the actor's longtime collaborator, friend, and fellow knight Ian McKellen. Stewart, best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, died after “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia,” his rep, Kelly Bush Novak, announced Thursday.
Stewart's acting career spanned more than six decades, and his credits reached far beyond the Star Trek and Marvel universes. The breadth of tributes to the late Stewart illustrates the reach of his craft and how fondly he is remembered by his fellow actors, directors, and other creatives. "Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end," wrote Ian McKellen, who co-starred with Stewart in five X-Men films and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
"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. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love." Another longtime collaborator with Stewart, Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman, wrote on his Instagram account, "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today.
And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days." Dafne Keen, who co-starred with Jackman and Stewart in Logan, remembered the late actor in a post on Instagram.
"He was such a kind, genuine, funny, unique, caring and charming man," Keen said. "I remember his endless jokes, nurturing nature and colourful reading glasses. Every single day spent working by his side was an honour and a privilege I can’t quite believe I had.
He was a walking master of his craft, and of life. One of the greatest of our time, on stage and on screen. "I have always looked up to him, and always will.
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