McKellen Remembers Patrick Stewart as a Beloved Friend

Ian McKellen remembered Patrick Stewart as a candid, dependable friend in a tribute posted on October 29, one day after Stewart died at age 86 at his home in Los Angeles. Stewart had Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, his spokesperson said.

McKellen wrote that Stewart’s Yorkshire roots shaped his voice and forthright manner, calling him “a man to rely on” and saying he loved him. The actors first met while working with the Royal Shakespeare Company about 50 years ago, though their friendship grew closer later.

McKellen recalled advising Stewart to think carefully before accepting a leading role in Star Trek, worried the move might draw him away from British theater. Stewart took the part, went on to become an international star, and built a career spanning film, television and stage productions. McKellen praised his work in the X-Men films and in classical plays performed in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and Broadway.

The two played Magneto and Professor X in several X-Men movies and shared the stage in productions including Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land. McKellen officiated Stewart’s 2013 wedding to Sunny Ozell, whom McKellen described as caring for Stewart through illness and health.

Stewart and McKellen are both set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for release in December. McKellen called it Stewart’s farewell performance, which audiences have yet to see.