Sir Patrick Stewart dies at 86; McKellen credits Ontario sets for deepening their bond

Sir Patrick Stewart, the English actor who defined the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film series, died on October 28. He was 86 years old. His family attributed the death to complications from Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Stewart was born in Yorkshire in 1940, but he developed a lasting connection to Canada through his film work in Toronto and Vancouver.

Sir Ian McKellen, a fellow actor and close friend, detailed the origins of their relationship in an Instagram post on October 29. McKellen noted that they first encountered each other as young performers with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the late 1960s, though they did not share productions. Their paths crossed again in central London years later when Stewart informed him of an offer to lead Star Trek. McKellen admitted he initially tried to talk Stewart out of the role, but Stewart accepted the part. The series began airing in 1987 and continued until 1994, followed by four feature films.

The friendship solidified during the production of the first X-Men movie in 2000. Filming took place in Ontario at several distinct locations, including Casa Loma, the Gooderham & Worts Distillery complex on Mill Street, Metro Hall Council Chambers, Roy Thompson Hall, and Rouge National Urban Park. McKellen stated in a 2020 Facebook post that they became best friends during the downtime from shooting in Toronto and Vancouver. He credited the Canadian sets with strengthening their personal bond, writing, "O Canada, thank you."

Subsequent entries in the franchise, X2: X-Men United in 2003 and X-Men: The Last Stand in 2006, also utilized locations in Toronto and Vancouver. Beyond screen collaborations, the two men shared the stage in England for productions of Waiting for Godot in 2009 and No Man's Land in 2013. McKellen also served as the officiant at Stewart's 2013 wedding to his third wife, Sunny Ozell.

Stewart's career included a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for his reading of Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf. In 2010, Queen Elizabeth knighted him for his contributions to British drama. McKellen described Stewart's appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in 2004 as his highest professional achievement. Stewart also submitted a new audiobook of Shakespeare's sonnets for Grammy consideration in an October 16 post.

Tributes from the entertainment industry have followed his death. William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series, called Stewart a friend and a magnificent actor in a Facebook post. Hugh Jackman, Stewart's co-star in the X-Men films, described him as a tremendous friend and man. The family requested that memorial contributions be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources in lieu of flowers.

Stewart will appear as Professor Xavier in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled for theatrical release in December.