Thursday was a sad day in the world of entertainment with the confirmation that Sir Patrick Stewart, the iconic actor best known to generations of fans for his role not only as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies but as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, had died on Wednesday, October 28th in Los Angeles following a “brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. Now, as the sad news of Stewart’s passing spreads, the cast of Star Trek from across multiple eras of the franchise are honoring the actor and his impact that goes well beyond the screen.
While Stewart’s acting career began in 1959 with the role of Cutpurse in a stage performance of Cyrano de Bergerac, it was the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation that made him a household name for many. He portrayed Picard for all seven seasons of the series and would go on to reprise the role for four Star Trek films, the pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and, most recently, three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. HIs time with the franchise left an impact not just on fans, but on his costars as well.
Fellow captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Kirk star William Shatner, took to X to remember Stewart. Shatner started by acknowledging how difficult the week has already been for Star Trek fans, who said goodbye to another franchise icon, Walter Koenig, earlier this week. Remembering Stewart, Shatner wrote of his friend and colleague’s talent, but also about his goodness as a human, writing not only did Captain Picard stand for the best of us but “so did the man who played him.
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…
“What a heartbreaking week it has been,” Shatner wrote. “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 us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work. My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed.”
On Bluesky, Hikaru Sulu actor George Takei called Stewart a “true and irreplaceable legend” and honored the actor’s impact on fans.
“Fans across the world mourn the passing of a true and irreplaceable legend,” he wrote. “As Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Patrick Stewart took the starship Enterprise to places it had never gone before. He inspired a whole generation of star-gazers who looked longingly ahead to a brighter future for all humanity. Our hearts are heavy, indeed. Rest in the heavens. Captain.”
As for his The Next Generation costars, Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander William T. Riker, shared a simple tribute. He reposted Stewart’s obituary post to his own Instagram Story and added “Rest in peace my friend.” Wil Weaton, who played Wesley Crusher on the series, may have shared the most heartbreaking of all, though. The actor shared a photograph of himself with Stewart seemingly from around the time they filmed the series with a simple caption of a broken heart emoji and “Godspeed, Captain.”
