First the facts: On Wednesday 28th October, following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, actor Sir Patrick Stewart died in his home in Los Angeles. He was 86.
His career spanned over 60 years, and was remarkably widespread, with Shakespeare, Star Trek, and X-Men being just some of the many roles he effortlessly fit into. He was awarded two Olivier Awards and one Grammy Award, along with countless nominations for other awards. And in 2010, he was knighted for services to drama by Queen Elizabeth II.
And now he’s dead, and I can’t quite get my head around that. You can find biographies and descriptions of his life elsewhere online, but that’s not what I want to talk about. So here are my thoughts on Sir Patrick Stewart, may he rest in peace.
Unsurprisingly, I first encountered Patrick through Star Trek: The Next Generation, of which I am an avid fan, and have been since I first saw it as a child. The concept of the starship captain Jean-Luc Picard excited me no end, and Patrick Stewart added to that excitement through the sophistication and character he brought to the role. It also helped that I found it hilarious how an American sci-fi show featured a British actor who was meant to be French.
I followed him all the way through The Next Generation and beyond to Picard, and it was a joy to watch him. His ability to not just play Captain Picard but to actually become him was something I think was unique amongst the actors in Star Trek. Every little micro-detail felt like they were features of how Patrick lived, rather than how someone wrote the character. I have never really encountered an actor who quite managed that so well since. And it’s a testament to that commitment he had to whatever role he played that embedded him, not just his roles, so deeply into culture. Why are so many people mourning his loss at the moment? Because he was known globally and loved globally too.
(This is sort of embarrassing, but as I sit here writing this I’ve got a cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot beside me. Jean-Luc, you had excellent taste in tea. 😆)
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Sir Patrick Stewart was best known for Star Trek, although that may be controversial. Certainly in the UK, a lot of people recognise him as having played major roles in more Shakespeare plays than most actors manage, such as Mark Antony in Antony and Cleopatra, or Macbeth in, you guessed it, Hamlet (only joking!)
I never saw him in X-Men because I’m not a huge fan of superhero films. But I do know that Prof. Charles Xavier is an important character who Patrick once again effortlessly slid into.
And the fondest memory I have related to him was when I went with my family to watch The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and we were given the Sir Patrick Stewart seats. They weren’t the best, and there was a big metal support beam blocking one of them, but it was very special to me to be in those seats, even if Sir Patrick never had been.
From what I’ve been hearing online, Sir Patrick Stewart had something of a rough time growing up, and whilst many people deal with that by becoming reclusive or hostile, he became one of the friendliest people around by all accounts. Always smiling, always happy to talk and spend time with people. That’s a wonderful way to live your life, and as with so many other things Sir Patrick exemplified it.
My biggest regret is that I never had the chance to meet him, to be there and say hello to the guy, and now I never will. There seem to be many stars dying lately, from Dolly Parton to Tim Curry. It saddens me each time I hear about a new death, because with each person goes a lifetime dedicated to entertaining us, the public, to serving our needs and wants and they all did it brilliantly.
So thank you, Sir Patrick Stewart, for your service, your dedication, and the sheer amount of skill you brought to the acting profession. You helped to change the lives of so many people. Scientists reference Star Trek as the cause for their passion; new actors turn up each day citing you as their inspiration; literature, history, film, all have been influenced so much by you.
I can’t believe I’ve had to write this — I don’t want to believe it still. I hope your legacy lives on for many, many years to come, and I know it will.
So whatever world lies before us all without Sir Patrick Stewart in it, I know it will be better for having had him. I’m now going to watch The Next Generation with some friends. Engage!