Gates McFadden and Whoopi Goldberg Remember Patrick Stewart

Gates McFadden remembered Patrick Stewart as both a gifted performer and a figure whose portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard gave people hope. McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher opposite Stewart for decades, said tributes after his death showed how widely he had touched people.

She praised Picard as an ethical, thoughtful leader whose principles inspired others to believe in fairness and better solutions. Stewart, she wrote, brought that ideal to life through his performance and his conduct beyond the screen. For some fans, she said, losing Picard felt especially painful because the character had offered hope.

Whoopi Goldberg also spoke about her longtime friendship with Stewart on The View on November 2. The two first worked together on Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Goldberg played Guinan, and reunited when he invited her to reprise the role in Star Trek: Picard in 2022.

Goldberg called Stewart irreplaceable and remembered him as a dear friend. She praised his ability to move among drama, science fiction, comedy and Shakespeare, and said their time working together remained one of the great experiences of her life. Stewart died at 86 after living for a short time with Alzheimer's and dementia with Lewy bodies.