Patrick Stewart's Family Details Private Health Battle Before Death

Patrick Stewart, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'X-Men' Actor, Dead at 86

Patrick Stewart lived and prospered, even amid his health struggles.

Before the Star Trek alum died on Oct. 28 at age 86, he navigated a "brief and poignant" health battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia (LBD), his family confirmed.

"He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all," their Oct. 29 statement continued. "We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace."

But as he privately lived with dementia and LBD—a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with abnormal protein deposits in the brain called Lewy bodies—he made it clear he was right where he wanted to be: on screen. And he made that clear just months before his death.

"As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older," he told TV Insider in July. "That being said, I still continue to receive interesting offers and I love being challenged by new work."

As Stewart put it, "I can't imagine ever officially 'retiring.' I'll always and forever be an actor."

In fact, he will reprise his role as Professor X in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, premiering Dec. 18. (The Marvel film wrapped filming in September 2025.)

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Still, beyond his stage work, his most iconic role was making it so as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek—and it's an experience Stewart held close to his heart.

"Like me, Jean-Luc has lived an unusual life that has taken him far beyond the bounds of normal human experience," he wrote in his 2023 memoir Making It So. "But he is also someone who has remained true to his earthbound roots, for they are what gave him his identity. In the end, he feels the call of home, as do I."

While Stewart embraces the final frontier, keep reading for a look back at his life in photos.

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