On Oct. 28, 2026, the film and TV industry tragically lost a legend when Sir Patrick Stewart’s family announced that he had passed away after more than 60 years in Hollywood. The social media announcement confirmed that he left this world at the age of 86 after a “brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.” With more than 160 credits on his résumé, Stewart’s impact on countless fandoms is nearly impossible to quantify.
In a long run of playing iconic characters, the crown jewel of Stewart’s career is Star Trek, in which he spent parts of four decades playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard. After a seven-year stint on Star Trek: The Next Generation and multiple movie appearances, Stewart’s final run in this role came in Star Trek: Picard, which ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2023 on CBS and Paramount+. Now, as fans and co-stars honor his memory, a memorable new story has emerged to celebrate his greatness.
Speaking exclusively with MovieWeb, actor Todd Stashwick reflected on his time working with the late Sir Patrick Stewart. While discussing his work on Marvel Television’s VisionQuest, Stashwick reminisced about how Stewart was “very silly” on set and how fun it was to see him be “silly and self-effacing and self-deprecating” as they worked together on Star Trek: Picard Season 3:
“Oh , there’s a lot. If I wanted to distill some of the memories…Well, first of all, he was very silly, and it was fun to see this man who is, you know, this Shakespearean-trained knight of the realm be as silly and self-effacing and self-deprecating and would have fun with his own mythology. So, that was fun to watch.
He thoroughly enjoyed Stewart’s work as Picard opposite his Liam Shaw, expressing his amazement at Stewart’s extended tenures in franchises like Marvel and Star Trek that “cast a long shadow” and find a way to [tell] new stories and [shed] new light on these characters:”
As an actor, he loved to get in there, and he loved the fact that Shaw was not impressed with him. It was a new lens through which to view Jean-Luc Picard. And if we’re not telling new stories and shedding new light on these characters, why are we doing it? There was just this very sweet moment where, you know — just like the MCU, you step into these franchises that have been there long before I got there, and they’ll be there long after my two cents are put in. So they cast a long shadow, and so you are invited to the party. But then you’re spending some time seeing how you fit into that.
The MCU and Star Trek star then moved to a specific story of himself and Stewart, when they were sitting in their captain’s chairs and saw Data star Brent Spiner returning to the set for the first time in years.
“There was one great moment, and I’ve shared this story before, where Patrick and I were…we were on the bridge in between takes, and I’m sitting in my Captain’s chair, and he’s sitting in that spot right next to me, and we’re just having a chat, and Brent Spiner walked in — and Brent was getting fitted for his contact lenses — and Brent walks over to greet Patrick. They hadn’t seen each other since this project started, and they’re like, ‘Oh, this was this lovely reunion.'”
From there, Stewart introduced Stashwick to Spiner. Stashwick recalled how great it was to see their reunion and revealed that Stewart told Spiner, “He’s one of us,” in discussing their new co-star. This marked an incredibly special moment for Stashwick, as he felt like he was able to “just walk into the sea” after being accepted so graciously by two of the biggest names in Star Trek history:
“Then Patrick immediately stands up. He says, ‘Oh, have you met Todd Stashwick?’ And then he leans in and goes, ‘He’s one of us.’ I’m like, ‘OK, I can just walk into the sea,’ you know. Like, the fact that he — and this was early in production — and he immediately christened me as part of the family. It was really special.
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Brent Spiner says he’s put Data out to pasture, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of the actor in the Star Trek universe.
Beyond this impactful comment, Stashwick praised Stewart for what he did in teaching about “how to be number one on the call sheet” through his work on the show. Praising him for being “so warm” to all the newcomers, Stashwick had nothing but kind words for the Picard star for creating “such room for [him] to feel safe creatively” and to welcome him into the fold alongside him and Spiner with such open arms:
“It also teaches you how to be number one on the call sheet. His job is to be the host of the party, and when people are brought in, and especially like now he’s Admiral. The way he was so warm with us new actors who are brought into this very potentially intimidating situation because these are actors that had been working together for 30-plus years, and he created such room for me to feel safe creatively, for me to do what I hope to be the best work I can do for the franchise. And then to share that and say, “Hey, Brent, he’s in the club.’ I was like…it meant a ton to me, it meant a ton.
Stashwick becomes the most recent of countless stars to credit Stewart for his work on set, as the late Picard star was one of Hollywood’s most revered figures for decades. Many of Stewart’s co-stars have penned touching tributes to him in the days since his passing, heaping immense praise on him for not only his work as an actor but also his character and class as a co-star and friend.
Stewart now has one final performance for audiences to see, as he will reprise his role as Professor Charles Xavier in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday on Dec. 18, 2026. While his time as Picard is now officially over, Stashwick’s comments only further cement him as one of the most impactful actors in modern history, largely through his work in massive IP-based franchises that he helped thrust into the spotlight.
- Birthdate
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July 13, 1940
- Birthplace
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Mirfield, Yorkshire, England, UK
- Birthname
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Patrick Hewes Stewart
