Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in Star Trek and X-Men, died at the age of 86, according to reports published on October 2, 2024. His longtime friend and frequent co-star Ian McKellen publicly paid tribute to Stewart, reflecting on their decades-long friendship and professional collaborations.
McKellen, 87, shared a tribute on Instagram, highlighting Stewart’s deep connection to his Yorkshire roots and his uncompromising approach to life and art. “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire,” McKellen wrote. “You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt.”
Stewart and McKellen first met as young actors while working with the Royal Shakespeare Company over 50 years ago, though they appeared in different plays at the time. Their professional and personal bond deepened decades later when they starred together in the X-Men film series, which began in 2000. Stewart later revealed that McKellen had initially advised him to turn down the role in Star Trek that would later define his career. McKellen himself followed Stewart’s path into blockbuster franchises, achieving global fame as Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films.
The two actors shared a friendship that extended beyond the screen, often greeting each other with affectionate kisses at public events. Stewart publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights and credited McKellen, who is gay, as an influence in his advocacy. In a 2015 interview with The Advocate, Stewart stated that his support for gay civil rights was “always a natural and uncomplicated choice,” later joining campaigns alongside McKellen.
Stewart and McKellen’s collaboration in X-Men films highlighted the complex dynamic between their characters, Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto, who held opposing ideologies on how to protect mutantkind. Off-screen, their real-life friendship was marked by mutual admiration and shared experiences, including Stewart officiating McKellen’s wedding to singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell in 2013.
Both actors built separate and successful legacies in cinema, with Stewart becoming synonymous with Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and McKellen achieving iconic status as Gandalf. Their combined influence spanned theater, film, and public advocacy, leaving a lasting impact on multiple generations of audiences.