Star Trek fans mourn the loss of their beloved captain.
Star Trek’s legendary Captain Jean-Luc Picard actor Sir Patrick Stewart passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the age of 86 after “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia,” according to Kelly Bush Novak (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Stewart, who was knighted back in 2010, first appeared as the commander of the USS Enterprise-D in The Original Series spin-off The Next Generation — “Encounter at Farpoint” (1987) — nearly 40 years ago.
At the time The Next Generation debuted on television, many Star Trek fans were up in arms over a bald, Englishman succeeding William Shatner’s James T. Kirk as the new face of the science fiction franchise, let alone the Enterprise’s commanding officer.
However, Stewart’s indelible acting skills and on-screen presence won over the skeptical Star Trek fans, and Captain Picard grew to become one of the franchise’s most beloved characters — mostly because of Stewart’s authentic and commanding performance.
The Next Generation ran for seven seasons, but its popularity demanded that TNG make the move to the Silver Screen, which it did in 1994’s Generations. Then after four feature films and just over 25 years, Stewart returned to headline his own streaming series about the now Starfleet Admiral, in the must-see show simply titled Picard.
As most movie fans already know, not to mention Trekkies and Trekkers, Stewart also led Marvel Comics’ big-screen adaptations of the X-Men as Professor Charles Xavier, who by strange coincidence was also a bald leader over a team of extraordinary individuals.
Outside of Star Trek, the X-Men, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, my favorite Patrick Stewart performances came in a pair of holiday-themed features: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (as the narrator) and as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.
The FanSided teams are saddened to hear of Mr. Stewart’s passing, and we pass on our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time.
And on a very personal note, I just can't get the image out of mind from TNG's "The Inner Light" episode when Picard perfectly plays his flute as the Enterprise-D fades to black. It's all I've thought of since the news of the actor's death broke today.
It's also tough to believe that Stewart won't be around for The Next Generation's 40th anniversay in 2027, nor did he live to see his performance as Professor X in this December's highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.
For more Star Trek content and to remember the incomparable Sir Patrick Stewart, visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And share your favorite Stewart moments from Trek with us in the comments section.
Rest in peace, Sir Stewart.
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