By Karim Hammam
Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed English actor known for his iconic roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" film franchise, died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 86. His family announced the death Thursday, stating he passed after a "brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia."
Stage and screen career
Stewart began his professional stage career at 19 and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, performing alongside actors such as Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley. He won the London Fringe Theater best actor award in 1986 for "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and Olivier Awards for Shakespeare performances in "Antony and Cleopatra" (1979) and "Hamlet" (2009).
Breakthrough in science fiction
His casting as Captain Picard in 1987 came after producer Robert Justman saw him deliver a Shakespeare lecture at UCLA, overriding franchise creator Gene Roddenberry's initial reservations. Stewart expected the series to last only one season, but it ran for seven seasons and spawned multiple films.
Personal life and survivors
Stewart is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell, and their two children, Daniel and Sophie Stewart. His longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, said he died surrounded by family, friends, live music, prayer, and laughter.
About Lewy body dementia
Lewy body dementia is a progressive brain disorder caused by abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies in nerve cells. It accounts for 10 to 15 percent of dementia cases and symptoms include hallucinations, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, and movement difficulties, according to the NHS.
