Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men actor, dies at 86 in Los Angeles

Patrick Stewart, the British actor known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, has died at the age of 86. He passed away on Wednesday, October 28, at his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends.

His representatives confirmed the death on Thursday, October 29, through a statement shared on his X account. The statement said Stewart died in the loving care of his wife, Sunny Ozell, after a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

“I can't imagine ever officially retiring. I'll always and forever be an actor.”

Stewart was born on July 13, 1940, in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, England. He grew up in a small working-class home without an indoor toilet or running hot water, and later spoke openly about domestic violence after his father returned from World War II.

He began acting as a teenager and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. For years he was known primarily as a classical stage actor, performing roles including Shylock, Claudius, Macbeth, Titus Andronicus and Enobarbus.

His international fame came at age 47 when he was cast as Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran from 1987 to 1994. He played the role in 176 episodes over seven seasons, several Star Trek films, and the later streaming series Star Trek: Picard that began airing in 2020.

Stewart also played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, starting with X-Men in 2000, and returned in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Logan. He was knighted in 2010 by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to drama.

He is survived by his wife, singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, and his two children, Daniel and Sophie, from his first marriage. Stewart was confirmed in the cast of Avengers: Doctor Destino, scheduled for December 2026, according to one source.