Photo Courtesy of Peabody Awards- Wikimedia Commons
For fans of Star Trek, the passing of actor Patrick Stewart feels like a goodbye to their favorite, familiar character. His death, however, while prompts fans to come together to remember his work, also ignites a conversation around dementia and Alzheimer’s awareness.
It was a universal experience to see the late actor Patrick Stewart in a piece of media; he was an extraordinary actor and person who influenced many generations of young people. Stewart passed away on Oct. 28, as per PEOPLE Magazine.
He was born in Yorkshire, England on July 13. He grew up with two older brothers. Patrick and his brothers were raised by their mother, Gladys, “a mill worker,” and their father, Alfred, who fought in the British army. According to PEOPLE Magazine, Stewart’s mother did not receive any education and worked in the mills for decades. Stewart did many other things besides just acting; he was active in raising money for charities and an active member of his community. According to Britannica, in 2001, Stewart joined the Order of the British Empire and became an officer; after this, in 2010, according to Deadline, Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Stewart was also an author, according to Simon and Shuster, and wrote a memoir named Making It So, in which he discusses his life and acting career.
Patrick Stewart started his acting career at the age of 12. According to Britannica, “[h]e performed in playhouses around England,” performing many Shakespeare plays. He found acting to be a place where he could be free of the anxieties that his homelife gave him, according to AP News. Stewart “would later become a patron of Refuge, an organization that provides shelter for domestic abuse victims.” According to Theirworld, Patrick supported “progressive politics for fairness and social justice,” and advocated for better care for veterans’ mental health struggles. His support for these issues are what made Stewart more than just an actor, but also a highly respected and valued person within his community.
As stated by Britannica, Patrick Stewart, in 1966, “made his theatrical debut” and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company the next year. In 1971, Stewart acted in his first Broadway play “as Snout in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” His role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream led to roles in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
According to The New York Times, Patrick Stewart joined the Star Trek (1966-1969) series as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 1987. As reported by HISTORY, part of what made Star Trek (1966-1969) a monumental show was its diverse cast. The show also touched on what was happening politically at the time. Another reason Star Trek (1966-1969) became such a culturally significant show is because it featured one of the first interracial kiss scenes on television. It came to light through rumors that the show might be canceled; when fans who were by then calling themselves “Trekkies” heard this, they started writing letters to NBC begging for the show not to be canceled, and 200 Cal Tech University students held a protest.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the producer of Star-Trek: The Next Generation (1987), Robert Justman, was in a lecture where Stewart was “reading from Shakespeare.” This lecture is where he first heard Stewart read Shakespeare aloud.
After Justman witnessed Stewart’s rendition of Shakespeare, he called him in for an audition, which the creator of the show, Gene Roddenberry, did not like because he believed that a bald-headed British actor could never be the predominant face of the new series. During Stewart’s audition, and the process of casting, Stewart eventually captured the affections of the creator of the show and got the job.
Stewart’s character’s name was Capt. Jean-Luc Picard. When it was announced that Stewart was going to be playing this role, the Los Angeles Times said that he was simply “an unknown British Shakespearean actor.” The Hollywood Reporter notes that the show came out right after Stewart’s forty-seventh birthday; the spin off series initially did not do well with Star Trek fans, however, by the third season, it was a hit because of the cliffhanger at the end of the episode. In this cliffhanger, Stewart’s character, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard is captured by aliens. The Hollywood reporter emphasizes that Stewart acted in some of history’s best hours of science fiction television.
Stewart also acted in X-Men (2000-2024) films, as per Britannica, which were some of his later films. Other media he acted in include: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Match (2014), Blunt Talk (2015-2016), Christmas Eve (2015), The Kid Who Would Be King (2019), and American Dad (2005-). Stewart was also a voice actor during his acting career; as stated by Britannica, he had voice acting roles in The Emoji Movie (2017), Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), and The Sheep Detectives (2026).
As stated by Deadline, Patrick Stewart is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell. According to PEOPLE,, Stewart had two children with his ex-wife; their names are Daniel and Sophia. As reported by PEOPLE Magazine, after Stewart went into retirement he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s. Stewart passed away with his wife, Sunny, taking care of him in their Los Angeles house.
Many individuals were inspired by Stewart and his acting career. He was a household name for many generations who grew up watching and listening to his movies. His community, which he was extremely active in, will remember him.