Actor Patrick Stewart died on 29 October at the age of 86 after suffering from Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.
Ian McKellen, a long-time friend and colleague, described Stewart as a man who wore his heart on his sleeve and was someone to admire and love. McKellen said Stewart was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, a northern English county that the actor loved until the end.
The actor also noted that Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. Stewart was appointed Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.
Stewart and McKellen became friends while portraying Professor X and Magneto in the “X-Men” films starting in 2000. Stewart shared that he and McKellen spent time together drinking tea and occasionally something stronger in adjoining trailers during filming.
Stewart said, "I’ll be frank with you — I’m in love with [him]," but added that his wife is also in love with McKellen. McKellen served as the officiant when Stewart married Sunny Ozell in 2013.
The pair appeared together in “X2” in 2003, “X-Men: The Last Stand” in 2006, and a cameo in “The Wolverine” in 2013.
They reprised their roles in “X-Men: Days of Future Past” in 2014, while Stewart also starred in “Logan” in 2017.
Stewart and McKellen are scheduled to appear in “Avengers: Doomsday,” which is set for release in December 2026.
The duo performed in a 2013 Broadway production of “Waiting for Godot” and “No Man’s Land,” followed by a 2016 West End production of “No Man’s Land.” Stewart achieved cinema success in a string of films and performed classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett.
Stewart performed at Stratford-upon-Avon, on Broadway, and in London’s West End.
McKellen noted that Stewart's farewell performance in “Avengers: Doomsday” has yet to be seen.
