On Thursday, people received the news of the passing of lauded stage, TV, and screen actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Already an accomplished actor in his beloved Britain, in 1987 Sir Patrick gained international fame as he joined Starfleet and the Star Trek universe for the first new television series since 1969.
For the next seven seasons, Captain Jean-Luc Picard would command the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) on Star Trek: The Next Generation on the small screen, then follow as it made the leap to the silver screen where Stewart would play the role for four feature films. He would don the uniform again for his own series, Picard, for three seasons.
Stewart was also tapped for another iconic role, bringing Marvel Comics' Professor X to the big screen in nine X-Men and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, including the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday.
His representative used Sir Patrick's social media accounts to let the world know the beloved performer and activist had walked on. You can see the announcement in the Instagram carousel below, where they shared that Sir Patrick had a "brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia."
Two massive fandoms loved Stewart, as did his friends and costars. As news of his passing was received, tributes to the man who advocated for the LGBTQ+ community, spoke out against domestic violence, and fostered dogs came pouring in.
Fellow British actor Sir Ian McKellen is the first person many people think of when they think of Sir Patrick, as the two have worked and played together for decades.
In a fitting tribute, Sir Ian shared:
"[Sir Patrick Stewart] wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love."
The tributes continued, from veteran British actor Malcolm McDowell...
...X-Men franchise and Logan costar Hugh Jackman...
...X-Men director Bryan Singer...
...costar Rebecca Romjin...
...his successor in the role of Professor X, Scottish actor James McAvoy...
...and Marvel studios.
Star Trek: The Next Generation and Picard costars Wil Wheaton...
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...Marina Sirtis...
...and Gates McFadden shared their thoughts on the loss.
Star Trek: Discovery actor Wilson Cruz wrote that he was devastated by the loss.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy actor Gina Yashere shared a sweet video of meeting Stewart a decade before she joined the Trek universe.
Star Trek legends William Shatner and George Takei also paid tribute to Sir Patrick.
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Leonard Nimoy's son Adam shared his experience working with Sir Patrick.
Actor, writer, director, and multiple series creator Seth MacFarlane penned a tribute on Threads.
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Actor Paul Hauser shared a story of his time on the set of sitcom Blunt Talk with Sir Patrick.
Sesame Street shared a video moment with Sir Patrick as a tribute.
And LGBTQ+ equality organization the Human Rights Campaign shared a message from Stewart on why he was a vocal supporter of gay civil rights.
He will indeed be missed by many.
Rest in the heavens, Sir Patrick.
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