If you’re reading this sci-fi curious blog you probably already know that Sir Patrick Stewart has died. I wanted to share two of the pieces I read about his life and career:
Patrick Stewart, star of ‘Star Trek’ and ‘X-Men,’ has died
Sir Patrick Stewart’s most famous characters tackled concepts such as honor, morality and courage…
Patrick Stewart, ‘Star Trek’ Captain and Professor X on ‘X-Men,’ Dies at 86
By the time he became a screen star, Mr. Stewart was a lauded stage veteran in Britain, where he began working with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. After making his first public stage appearance at 19, he performed in both classical and contemporary works alongside fellow up-and-coming actors like Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren and Glenda Jackson… To most American film and television fans, however, he was always Picard, even after the “X-Men” movies. And though in terms of substance the character may have been light years removed from his meatier roles with the R.S.C., Mr. Stewart continued to express pride in his work as that resolute ship captain, dismissing theater-world peers who had looked askance at him when he went to Hollywood.
Growing up without a television meant no Star Trek when I was a child; it was a fandom I came to later, and Stewart was a big part of that.
His talent brought gravitas and sincerity to a series that could have been just another show filled with sci-fi shenanigans. I mean, reruns of Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica and the like were fun, but they didn’t spend a lot of time tackling the critical moral and societal issues of the day. The Next Generation did that and more, and Stewart was a big part of making the show as good as it was.
Of course, he also played Charles Xavier in the X-Men and a whole host of stage characters. Each of his fans will have a favorite role, but for me, it’s Captain Picard.
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Ok, maybe more than two articles!
I thought this was a terrific call-out to sci-fi in general and Stewart in particular for inspiring humanity to move forward:
As Picard on ‘Star Trek’, Patrick Stewart Impacted Generations of Scientists
Patrick Stewart, who died on Wednesday, was many things to many people: a world-renowned actor, a knight of the realm, a patron of the arts, a tireless fighter for raising awareness of domestic abuse. And for millions, Mr. Stewart will chiefly be remembered as Jean-Luc Picard, the stoic, pacifist captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise who first appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Mr. Stewart’s iconic character was also a source of inspiration for thousands of space scientists.
And finally, a heartfelt reaction from Wil Wheaton, who was Stewart’s castmate on TNG:
I wish I really were a Traveler of all of space and time.
I wish I really were a Traveler of all of space and time, so I could go to him, one final time, and tell him how much he means to me. I think he knew, but still.
A lot of the cultural touchstones of the sci-fi community are leaving us (Walter Koenig, who played Ensign Chekov in the original Star Trek, also passed away this week), and that’s hard. But it’s also a touching reminder that their lives changed us, and for the better.
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