‘Patrick Stewart brought virile star power to the stage, from clowns to kings to wounded lions’
Patrick Stewart, who has died aged 86, combined a distinguished classical stage career with global fame in Star Trek and the X-Men films. His Shakespearean training gave his screen roles gravitas, while Hollywood brought him confidence and authority that strengthened his later stage performances.
After joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, Stewart played comic and forceful roles, including Aufidius, Cassius and Enobarbus in its 1971–72 Roman plays season. He also taught Shakespeare in the United States, work that led to his being cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 1986. Returning to the British stage, he was praised as Mark Antony in 2006 and performed Macbeth in 2007.
In short
- Patrick Stewart brought Shakespearean skill to major screen roles.
- Hollywood fame strengthened his later stage performances.
- He played Picard, Professor X and leading Shakespearean parts.
Explained simply
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company known for performing Shakespeare and other classical plays. Patrick Stewart joined it in 1966, building a career on stage before becoming widely known to television and film audiences.
Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. These roles brought him international fame, while his training in Shakespeare gave his screen performances a grounding in classical theatre.
His career connected British stage acting with major Hollywood productions. He continued to perform Shakespeare, including Mark Antony and Macbeth, as audiences came to know him through both theatre and screen.
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