The film and TV world has been hit with very sad news. Acting great Sir Patrick Stewart has passed away at the age of 86.
The actor passed away according to sources close to the family at his home in Los Angeles this Wednesday.
Though most people immediately link him with geek pop culture, his true home was always on the stage. He spent years refining Shakespearean lines at the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, alternating heavy tragedies with roles of ordinary people. He brought this old British school of thought, brutal discipline, and massive respect for the text in front of the camera too—essentially rewriting the rules of Hollywood genre films.
In the sci-fi world, he brought a level of sophistication that no one was used to before. As Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he rejected straightforward solutions to conflicts through force. Instead, he opted for pure diplomacy, empathy, and a moral compass that he held firmer than anyone else on the USS Enterprise.
And then there were the X-Men. Stewart, as Professor Charles Xavier, breathed soul into the entire comic book phenomenon. He drew a strong parallel about human rights, minorities, and respect ...