Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer
Sir Patrick Stewart dies at 86 after battling Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. This legendary actor leaves behind a long legacy of film and drama.
Stewart’s interest in drama began in his schooling in Yorkshire, when a teacher gave him Shakespeare and “told him to perform.” For him, acting served as a means of self-expression in his youth. He attended Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to study acting.
Stewart is best known and recognized for his roles in the X-Men series; however, before that, Stewart had a successful career on stage. His first professional stage performance was in 1959 at the Theatre Royal in Bristol. Soon after, in 1966, Stewart became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He worked in the company until 1982. He performed in Peter Brook’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Broadway.
His connection to Shakespeare brought him to the University of California, Santa Barbara, to help teach a class on the playwright. Here, Stewart was introduced to Hollywood, though he stated that he preferred classical theater to any other genre. He joined Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994, unaware of the cultural significance Star Trek had in America.
His role was Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart said that he realized he was famous when two and a half thousand people came to see him at a convention. Stewart noted he was proud of his work in Star Trek “for its social messages and educational impact on young viewers.” In 1995, he received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.
In the late 1990’s, Stewart took on the role of Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men. He would go on to reprise his role as this character in the following nine movies. From this role, he broke a Guinness World Record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel Comics superhero.
Stewart returned to the theater to rave reviews. He played Macbeth at the age of 67, where critics called him “one of our finest Shakespearean actors”. His performance of Claudius in Hamlet resulted in him winning a Laurence Olivier Award. He was knighted in 2010 by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to drama.
From his long career, many actors mourn the loss of a great performer and friend. Gates McFadden, who acted alongside Stewart in Star Trek, said his character inspired people to “desire to do good in the world” and to use “both kindness and focus.” Another Star Trek alum, John de Lancie, said that Stewart “brought intelligence and depth to every role he played.” Sir Ian McKellen, who worked on Macbeth with Stewart, noted that Stewart was “the most respected and beloved actor of his generation.” Hugh Jackman, who worked with Stewart for years in the X-Men movies, wrote that he “learned so much from him.” These comments from Stewart’s co-stars demonstrate his kindness and talent — something that will be forever remembered in his legacy.
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