We don’t usually write articles when actors pass away here at Geektown. It’s never felt particularly right to turn the loss of someone’s life into another entertainment news headline. But every so often, someone comes along whose work has meant so much to the worlds we love, and to generations of people who grew up exploring them, that saying nothing feels equally wrong.
Sir Patrick Stewart was one of those people.
The legendary British actor died on Wednesday, 28th October 2026, aged 86, at his home in Los Angeles. He leaves behind an extraordinary body of work spanning more than six decades, from the Royal Shakespeare Company to the farthest reaches of space, and from the stages of the West End to the superhero-filled world of Marvel.
For many of us, though, there will always be one role that comes to mind first.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
When ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ arrived in 1987, Stewart had the unenviable task of following William Shatner’s Captain Kirk. Rather than attempt to replicate what had come before, he gave us something very different. Picard wasn’t a swashbuckling action hero. He was thoughtful, diplomatic, occasionally stern, and profoundly committed to the idea that humanity could become something better.
In a universe filled with alien threats, interstellar battles and extraordinary technology, Picard’s greatest weapons were often his intelligence, compassion and moral conviction. He could command a starship with a raised eyebrow, deliver a speech that made you reconsider your entire worldview, or communicate more emotion with a quiet look than some actors manage with an entire monologue.
Stewart brought an extraordinary gravitas to the role, but also a warmth and vulnerability that developed beautifully over the years. It made Picard one of science fiction’s most enduring characters, a role he would eventually return to decades later in ‘Star Trek: Picard’.
Then, of course, there was Professor Charles Xavier.
When Stewart took on the role in the X-Men films, it seemed like one of those rare pieces of casting that was almost impossibly perfect. Once again, here was a character whose strength came not simply from his extraordinary abilities, but from his belief in understanding, tolerance and the possibility of a better future.
There is something rather wonderful about the fact that two of geek culture’s most recognisable leaders were played by the same man. Picard and Xavier were very different people, but both believed that wisdom and compassion mattered more than brute force. Stewart gave both characters the authority to make those ideals believable.
But to define his career entirely by those roles would be doing him a tremendous disservice.
Long before he was commanding the Enterprise, Stewart was an accomplished classical actor, joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and building a remarkable theatrical career. Shakespeare remained central to his work, and his performances on stage were every bit as important as his achievements on screen.
He also had an absolutely glorious sense of humour.
Whether sending himself up in ‘Extras’, lending his unmistakable voice to ‘American Dad!’, or simply appearing in interviews and looking thoroughly delighted to be there, he clearly understood the joy of not taking himself too seriously. It’s quite something to possess one of the most commanding voices in acting and still be so willing to use it for something completely ridiculous.
And that brings me to one of my favourite things about Patrick Stewart: his friendship with Sir Ian McKellen.
It’s difficult to think of another friendship between two legendary actors that has been quite so utterly adorable to watch.
The two had known each other professionally for years, but their friendship really blossomed while working together on the first X-Men film, playing Professor Xavier and Magneto. They went on to share the stage in productions including Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land, and McKellen even officiated at Stewart’s wedding to Sunny Ozell in 2013.
But it was their relationship away from the screen and stage that always made me smile.
Here were two of Britain’s most distinguished theatrical performers, both knighted, both with decades of extraordinary work behind them, and yet whenever they were together, they frequently behaved like a pair of giggling schoolboys.
The silly photographs, the affectionate teasing, the obvious delight they took in each other’s company. There was something wonderfully genuine about it all. They seemed utterly comfortable being ridiculous together, and seeing that kind of friendship, particularly between two older men, was genuinely heartwarming.
It’s one of the things I’ll remember most fondly about him, and my heart goes out to his wife Sunny, his family, and all his friends, including Sir Ian, who has lost a very dear friend.
There is, sadly, another part of this news that hits particularly close to home.
Stewart’s family revealed that he had been living privately with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, describing it as a “brief and poignant journey”.
I’m glad, at least, that his family describes the illness as brief.
My own father passed away from Parkinson’s disease, which in his case also came with dementia. Having experienced what that can be like, I know just how cruel these conditions can be, not only for the person living with them, but also for the family and loved ones around them. Watching someone you love go through that is a horrible experience, and something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
I hope that Patrick and his family were spared as much of that suffering as possible, and that his final days were filled with the same love, warmth and laughter that he brought to so many people throughout his life.
In lieu of flowers, Stewart’s family has asked that anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution consider the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, which supports people living with dementia and those caring for them.
For readers here in the UK who would like to support organisations working to help people affected by these devastating conditions, you can also donate to Alzheimer’s Society, The Lewy Body Society, or Parkinson’s UK. All do important work supporting those living with these illnesses, their families, and research into better treatments and care.
There will, understandably, be countless tributes to Sir Patrick Stewart in the coming days. His career was extraordinary, his contribution to theatre immeasurable, and his place in science fiction and superhero history is secure.
But I think what I’ll remember most is how he brought such humanity to everything he did.
He made intelligence heroic. He made compassion powerful. He could be commanding and dignified one moment, then wonderfully silly the next.
He gave us a captain who inspired us to imagine a better future, a professor who believed in finding the good in people, and a friendship that regularly reminded us that growing older doesn’t mean you have to stop having fun.
For that, and for so much more, thank you, Sir Patrick.
You will be very much missed.
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