Patrick Stewart’s family has revealed he died after battling Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
The British actor, 86, passed away at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced Thursday in a statement posted to his Instagram account. They described his final period as a “brief and poignant journey” with the two progressive brain disorders.
“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,” the family wrote in the Instagram post. “We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
The family also noted that memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
Lewy body dementia causes a decline in mental abilities that gradually worsens over time, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hallucinations often appear among the first symptoms, while other indicators mirror Parkinson’s disease: rigid muscles, slow movement, trouble walking and tremors. The condition ranks as the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, and neither has a cure.
Stewart’s death adds to a sobering roster of public figures felled by Lewy body dementia. Robin Williams died by suicide in 2015 at 63 while struggling with the disease. CNN founder Ted Turner, who died in May at 87, also battled the disorder. “Golden Girls” star Estelle Getty, “Happy Together” singer Mark Volman and Mets pitching legend Tom Seaver similarly faced the illness.
Despite his diagnoses, Stewart had continued working in recent months. In July, he told TV Insider that fewer roles came his way at his age, though he still landed intriguing offers. He voiced a pig’s head in Riz Ahmed’s series “Bait,” a project he cited as the kind of creative challenge he relished.
“I can’t imagine ever officially ‘retiring,'” Stewart said in that interview. “I’ll always and forever be an actor.”
Marvel Studios issued a statement Thursday expressing heartbreak over the loss. Stewart first appeared as Professor Charles Xavier in 2000’s “X-Men,” establishing the telepathic mutant leader as a defining role across more than two decades of superhero cinema.
“Stewart made his debut as Professor X in 2000’s ‘X-Men,’ where he embodied the composure, class, and wisdom of the beloved telepathic mutant and mentor of the X-Men,” the studio wrote. “For more than 25 years, he brought a gravitas and profundity to the role, earning fans across the globe and helping to transform Super Hero storytelling forever.”
“Sir Patrick Stewart leaves behind an indelible cultural footprint and legacy,” Marvel added.
Beyond blockbuster franchises, Stewart maintained deep roots in classical theater. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and built a formidable reputation as a Shakespearean stage actor long before Hollywood stardom. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 2010 for services to drama.
His two most widely recognized screen roles—Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor X in the “X-Men” films—made him a fixture of genre entertainment across multiple generations. The Picard role in particular anchored seven seasons of television, four feature films, and a late-career streaming revival that extended his tenure into his eighties.
The family statement posted to Instagram did not specify an exact date of death, noting only that he passed at his Los Angeles residence surrounded by loved ones.