Ow. This one hurts. Sir Patrick Stewart, a cultural icon and all-around good frickin’ guy, has passed away at the age of 86. A classically trained actor, he was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Later generations would also know him as Professor Xavier in the X-Men movies, and his reprisal of the role in this December’s Avengers: Doomsday could be his last movie appearance. But I knew him as Aelius Sejanus, the vicious and ambitious praetorian guard in the BBC production of I, Claudius. He had hair then, and even though he played a relatively minor role, when he was on, he stole that show. It was a hoot to see a guy I typically associated with do-gooders play a villain with the same exacting gravitas he lent to his hero roles.
The internet is awash in tributes to the man, and as I share them here, I do so through a vision-clouding veil of tears. The Shakespeare-themed ones hit particularly hard.
Considering his role in The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, I can hear this one in his voice.
Mood.
A beautiful thread on just how fucking cool this guy was.
Like cool cool.
All of us at Marvel Studios are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart. Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from “X-Men” to “Logan” to “Avengers:… pic.twitter.com/PG5tmB6dlh
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) October 29, 2026
What a heartbreaking week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of…
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 29, 2026
“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” -Captain Jean-Luc Picard
(rest in peace to one of the best actors of all time) pic.twitter.com/9hC86ISaSK
— Adam Singer (@AdamSinger) October 29, 2026
This sums up what everyone must be feeling right now, even me, who isn’t really that familiar with his space escapades.
