The sad news was by Stewart’s longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, who confirmed that the actor died at his home in Los Angeles with his beloved wife, Sunny, by his side.
Stewart died following “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia”.
Kelly Bush Novak announces the death of Sir Patrick Stewart
“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all,” Bush Novak wrote.
“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
Stewart was one of Britain’s most respected actors, known for his acclaimed work on stage and screen. He became best-known through his breakout role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation before reaching a new generation of fans as Professor Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in the film franchise.
co-star Sir Ian McKellen
Stewart reprised the role of Professor X in the Cinematic Universe film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022. He also filmed scenes for the upcoming before his death, in which he is set to reunite on screen with his longtime friend and fellow star .
The pair later starred opposite each other in the franchise, with McKellen playing Magneto.
But the pair’s friendship dates back decades before their superhero roles.
McKellen pays tribute to his late friend
Following Stewart’s death, McKellen shared a deeply personal tribute to his longtime friend, reflecting on their first meeting at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’,” McKellen wrote to .
“‘But Patrick, think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk – getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?’” McKellen recalled telling the late star.
Stewart ultimately took the risk, and McKellen penned: “Thank goodness for us all that he did.”
A career across stage and screen
McKellen went on to praise Stewart’s work in films including , as well as his performances in classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Harold Pinter and Samuel Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin,” McKellen wrote.
The friendship between the two actors extended beyond the stage and screen. McKellen officiated at Stewart’s wedding to Sunny Ozell in 2013.
In 2019, Stewart paid tribute to McKellen on his 80th birthday, writing on : “Sunny and I are grateful for all the love over the years, whether as a dear friend, minister at our wedding, or colleague on screen and stage.”
Standing alongside McKellen in the fight for gay rights under Section 28, Stewart was also celebrated as an LGBTQ+ ally. In 1988, the pair were among a group of actors involved in the Arts Lobby, which opposed the anti-gay legislation. Stewart was also a longstanding supporter of same-sex marriage.
Speaking to in 2015, he spoke about the diversity of theatre and his “natural and uncomplicated” decision to support gay rights.
“There was never a moment when I made an intellectual choice that I would be a supporter of gay civil rights. It was always a natural and uncomplicated choice,” he said.
“Later in life, as I got to know well-known activists like Ian McKellen, I was only too happy to join campaigns, march, and support in whatever way I could because it always seemed to me to be something that much too much fuss was being made about.”
Stewart’s farewell performance in is set to arrive in UK cinemas on 16 December 2026.