Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart, the classically trained stage actor who scaled the Shakespearean canon and added gravitas to a “Star Trek” franchise and the “X-Men” films, has died. He was 86. A spokesperson said Stewart died Wednesday in Los Angeles, following “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia. Stewart was best known as Professor Charles Xavier from the “X-Men” and Captain Jean-Luc Picard from “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” but he spent more of his career onstage than in the X-Mansion or on the USS Enterprise.

Patrick Stewart, the beloved actor known for his roles as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek” and Professor Charles Xavier in “X-Men,” has died at 86. A slew of tributes from acting colleagues and even Marvel Studios have followed. Fellow “Star Trek” alum William Shatner called Stewart a “magnificent actor” who “brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did.” “X-men” co-star Hugh Jackman lauded him as “one of the greats” and “a tremendous friend and man.” Marvel Studios praised Stewart's grace and intelligence, and called him a “singular talent.”