On Wednesday 28 of October, Yorkshire-born actor Sir Patrick Stewart passed away at the age of 86 after a short battle with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia. He is survived through his wife Sunny and his two children..
Born on the 13 July 1940 to Alfred Stewart and Gladys nee Barrowclough, Patrick often witnessed his father domestically abusing his mother. Stewart found a refuge from the chaos in acting after his English teacher, Cecil Dorman, handed him a copy of The Merchant of Venice and encouraged him to nurture the talent he had. This changed the trajectory of the teenager’s life, whereupon he secured a scholarship for Bristol Old Vic in 1957 (being fired from journalism for his theatre obsession) and debuted at the London Theatre Royal for the Old Vic company in nineteen fifty-nine as Cyrano’s Cutpurse. Eventually Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RCS) in 1966, and then as an associate artist from 1967 until 1982.
From here, Patrick Stewart’s career exploded after multiple successful RCS productions, including Broadway roles. After establishing some Hollywood connections, Stewart made a risky move and signed on for six seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Despite difficulties adjusting to the screen, the show was immensely successful (attributed by the cast to Stewart’s professionalism), and the actor became wealthy overnight. This foray into pop-culture continued when Stewart joined the X-Men franchise as Professor Charles Xavier; the previously “unknown British Shakespearean actor” was now undoubtedly a household name. It is fitting then, that Stewart’s last role will be as the one he is arguably known most for – reprising Professor X one last time for the upcoming Avengers movie.
Stewart, who had established his credibility as a phenomenal actor, was no stranger to awards. In his lifetime totalled eleven acting awards and an astounding forty-three nominations, notably earning two Olivier awards for his role as Enobarbus in nineteen seventy-nine’s production of Anthony and Cleopatra, a Grammy for the spoken word album Peter and the Wolf, and a Critic’s Choice Award for the television show Star Trek: Picard.
Beyond this, Sir Patrick Stewart was bestowed an Order of the British Empire in 2001, a knighthood in 2010, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1996. The actor also served as a Chancellor and Professor for the University of Huddersfield until 2015 and received many honorary accolades from institutions such as the University of Leeds, Cardiff University, the Free University of Brussels, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
In his personal life, Stewart had multiple romances and marriages over time, including his first marriage with Sheila Falconer in which he became a father to Daniel and Sophia Stewart. Until his death he remained with his third wife, Sunny Ozell, whom he secretly married in a LA Mexican restaurant, officiated by Ian McKellan. He was a staunch supporter for Huddersfield F.C, alongside his active involvement with many charities which he personally connected with.
Sir Patrick Stewart is known for his many brilliant roles on and off stage, yet as a human is proudly defined by a life of giving back; especially to the arts sphere, which allowed a young boy from Mirfield to fulfil his dreams. Stewart’s strive for humanitarianism is possibly best exemplified in the full-circle moment in which he awarded an honorary doctorate to his supportive teacher Cecil Dorman – “the most significant person in [his] life.”
Sir Patrick Stewart: born 13 July 1940; died 28 October 2026.
“Patrick Stewart” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
