Patrick Stewart, who rose from poverty in England to become an accomplished Shakespearean stage actor and then achieved global stardom as the erudite Captain Jean-Luc Picard in television’s Star Trek: The Next Generation and the telepathic Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, has died at the age of 86.
Stewart, knighted in 2010 by Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to drama, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to a statement on his social media account.
“We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” it said.