Hugh Jackman Mourns ‘X-Men’ Co-Star Patrick Stewart: ‘A Tremendous Friend and Man. I Learned So Much From Him’

Hugh Jackman is mourning the loss of his long-time “X-Men” co-star and friend Patrick Stewart, who died on Wednesday at age 86 after a “brief battle” with Alzheimer’s and Lewy Body Dementia.

“We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today,” Jackman wrote on Instagram. “And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”

Jackman and Stewart memorably portrayed Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier in several “X-Men” movies, including 2000’s “X-Men,” 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” 2013’s “The Wolverine” and 2017’s “Logan.” Stewart also appeared in Marvel’s 2022 sequel “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and he will reprise his role in this December’s “Avengers: Doomsday” alongside his good friend Ian McKellen as Magneto. It’s unclear if Wolverine will return for the superhero sequel.

“Hugh and I were so thrilled when the last thing we did for ‘X-Men’ was ‘Logan,’” Stewart told Variety in 2020. “It was the best ‘X-Men’ experience we both had, because we were the same characters but their world had been blown apart.”

Jackman is one of many bold-face names who paid tribute to Stewart. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, described the legendary actor as “brilliant, charming, warm, generous, with a quiet strength and gravitas.”

“I’ll never forget the first time I saw Sir Patrick Stewart on the set of the first X-Men,” Feige said. “It was a true privilege to know him and to work with him. His legacy lives on not only in decades of extraordinary work, but in the many, many people he mentored. He will be deeply missed.”

Stewart’s other major role was Captain Jean-Luc Picard on “Star Trek,” and his fellow USS Enterprise captain William Shatner praised the “brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did.”

“I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work,” Shatner said. “My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed.”