There’s so many other people and columnists who have said and written better (and more personal) things about Sir Patrick Stewart. So there’s nothing I can add.
I suggest you find an audible of his autobiography, Make It So, which I did a blog post on more than two years. It’s a wonderful recounting of a man who lived 80 years through ups and downs. And hearing Stewart’s voice is like ASMR for the soul.
Here’s the link: https://yahueykablewie.com/2024/04/10/making-it-so-is-amazing/
Stewart was in his mid-40s when he got the big break he needed following supporting roles in movies like Dune, Excalibur and Lifeforce. His male pattern baldness made him look older but it gave him the prestige and authority needed as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Gene Roddenberry had intended Cmdr. William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to be the romantic action hero of the show as well as a potential captain in case Picard didn’t click with audiences. But Stewart made it so.
Still, he had difficult times transitioning to movies as many TV actors weren’t really given the best encouragement during this time. Through the 1990s, he appeared in supporting roles again, most notably Jeffrey and Conspiracy Theory. It wasn’t until he was cast as Charles Xavier in the 2000 X-Men movie that he was able to command the screen the way he had as Picard. He was able to show he could move past Picard and the Star Trek flicks which weren’t as well received as the ones with the original cast.
Stewart would played Xavier or Professor X as he is also known nine times with the final performance set to be in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. I think it’s a fitting swan song for him. Stewart has been able to three-dimensional humanity to the role during a time when superhero movies weren’t at all popular following some bad adaptations of other material. He was 60 at this time and finally became a movie star.
And while it was controversial with the 38-year age gap as he married Sunny Ozell, Stewart was able to become a presence on social media reaching new audiences. And he returned to the role of Picard in his own series thst was a continuation of TNG after 25 years.
Stewart died on Oct. 28 at 86 from complications of Alzheimers and Lewy body dementia. He had announced Doomsday would be his last movie about a year ago. It has been one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It’s just sad he won’t be able to see it.
What do you think? Please comment.
