Sir Patrick Stewart

Life Story

Patrick Stewart was born on 13 July 1940 in Mirfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and made his professional debut at the Theatre Royal, Bristol, on 19 May 1959, in Cyrano de Bergerac. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and stayed until 1982, appearing in more than sixty productions, and remained an Honorary Associate Artist of the company. His television debut came in Coronation Street in 1967, and screen work followed in I, Claudius, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Excalibur and Dune. In 1987 he stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Picard's reasoned, humane leadership won him a devoted audience across generations, and he returned to the role in four feature films and in Star Trek: Picard from 2020 to 2023. To a new audience he was Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, from 2000 to 2017, alongside voice work including Avery Bullock in American Dad! and the narration of the Ted films.

Early Years

Patrick grew up in Mirfield, the son of Gladys, a weaver and textile worker, and Alfred, a regimental sergeant major in the Parachute Regiment. He had two older brothers, Geoffrey and Trevor. He attended Crowlees Junior and Infant School and Mirfield Secondary Modern School, where his teacher Cecil Dormand encouraged his love of Shakespeare and performance. A grant took him to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and the start of a lifetime on the stage.

Family

Patrick was married to the singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell from 2013. He was also a father to Daniel and Sophie. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.

Professional Achievements

Patrick was appointed OBE in 2001 and knighted in 2010 for services to drama. He won two Laurence Olivier Awards, for Antony and Cleopatra in 1979 and for Hamlet in 2008, and a Grammy for his narration of Peter and the Wolf. He received nominations for a Tony Award, three Golden Globes, four Emmys and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996. He held honorary doctorates, including from the University of East Anglia and the University of Leeds, and served as Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield from 2004 to 2015.

Passions & Hobbies

Away from the screen, Patrick used his voice for causes he believed in. He was a patron of Refuge, the UK charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse, and a patron of Combat Stress, the charity for veterans' mental health, as well as Dignity in Dying, Humanists UK and the United Nations Association – UK. He never stopped loving the stage, and the works of Shakespeare that first drew him to acting.

Films

Series