Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men actor, dies at 86

English actor Patrick Stewart died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. His family said he had been living with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.

A statement released by Stewart's representatives said he died in the care of his wife, Sunny, surrounded by family and friends. It described his final days as filled with live music, prayer, tears and laughter. The statement did not give a funeral date or location.

Stewart was best known to many fans as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also played Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. He won an Emmy and was widely respected for his stage work. Colleagues praised him as warm, funny and generous. Star Trek: Picard creator Akiva Goldsman said Stewart was fun to be around and a true collaborator. English actor Ian McKellen said that being out with Stewart was like being with a famous figure, because he had touched so many lives.

Early life in Yorkshire

Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in Yorkshire, England, during the Second World War. He grew up in Mirfield, where he later spoke openly in interviews about a difficult childhood with a violent father. He credited his English teacher, Cecil Dormand, with introducing him to the plays of William Shakespeare. That encounter, he said, set him on the path to acting.

The family asked that, instead of flowers, donations be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources. For Indian fans who followed his Star Trek and X-Men roles on streaming and in cinemas, the statement offers a way to honour his work. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.