Sir Patrick Stewart, the actor renowned for his portrayal of science fiction characters Captain Jean-Luc Picard in *Star Trek* and Professor Charles Xavier, passed away early this morning at the age of 86. The announcement was made by his family via his official Instagram account, stating that his death was due to Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
Born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, in 1940, Stewart began his acting journey at the age of 12 while still in school. At 15, he left school to work as a junior journalist before enrolling at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1957.
His early career was rooted in theatre, and he successfully joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. He gained widespread recognition for his role as Gurney Halleck in the 1984 film *Dune*, directed by David Lynch. In 1987, he took on the iconic role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the television series *Star Trek: The Next Generation*, which ran for seven seasons. He later reprised this role in several *Star Trek* films and the series *Picard*.
Beyond that iconic role, he also portrayed Professor Charles Xavier in the *X-Men* film adaptations. He played this character nine times across both the Fox-produced films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His sudden passing means that *Avengers: Doomsday*, set to hit the big screen this coming December, will be his final film appearance.
