2026 has taken a great many beloved celebrities from us. We thought nothing could rival the pain of losing Dolly Parton, but now comes the news that Patrick Stewart has passed away. Stewart, of course, rose to prominence as the lead of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the ‘80s and ‘90s, before going on to headline Fox’s X-Men movies. But even those two venerable franchises are just a taste of Stewart’s brilliant and prolific acting career.
As we come to terms with this profound loss, let’s take a look back at Stewart’s most memorable roles over the years, covering some of cinema’s most iconic heroes and a few dastardly villains for good measure.
Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men Series (2000-2026)
Casting Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier had to have been one of the easiest layups in Hollywood history. He’s a famously bald man with a penchant for mentoring up-and-coming heroes with rousing monologues. That’s not to say that Stewart didn’t continuously bring his A-game to the various X-Men movies, especially whenever he shared the screen with Ian McKellen’s Magneto.
We particularly cherish his late-career turn in 2017’s Logan, where he displayed a new level of frailty and regret. And as much as we’ll miss the actor, it’s comforting to know we’ll get one last opportunity to see him play the role in Avengers: Doomsday.
Sejanus in I, Claudius (1977)
The I, Claudius miniseries might have been the most stacked ensemble cast in TV history. It really says something that Stewart stands out so well among that group – Derek Jacobi, Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt! – despite his relatively young age. Yes, it’s more than a little surreal seeing him with a full head of hair, but Stewart truly owns the role of Roman soldier Sejanus.
Darcy Banker in Green Room (2015)
We’re so used to seeing Stewart play morally upright heroes like Captain Picard and Professor X that it’s always something of a shock to see him cast as a villain instead. Stewart was cast very much against type as a Neo-Nazi skinhead ringleader in this 2015 action-thriller from director Jeremy Saulnier, and that’s what makes the role stand out. Stewart is chilling here, bringing a calm but palpable sense of danger to every scene.
Gurney Halleck in Dune (1984)
Before Josh Brolin brought master swordsman Gurney Halleck to life on the big screen, there was Stewart’s version. He may be best remembered for sauntering across the desert battlefield while holding a pug, but Stewart delivered a memorable performance all the same in this campier take on the Frank Herbert novel. You can immediately understand why the warriors of House Atreides would follow their captain into battle without question.
Captain Ahab in Moby Dick (1998)
Stewart showed us a very Ahab-like side of Captain Picard in 1996’s Star Trek: First Contact, so it’s only fitting that he would go on to actually play the obsessive sea captain in a TV movie version of Moby Dick. As you’d expect, Stewart is phenomenal in the role, earning both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his performance.
Deputy Director Avery Bullock in American Dad (2005-present)
American Dad is definitely another case of Stewart being cast against type, and once again, that’s precisely why the role works so well. Stewart’s innate charisma and soothing voice clash mightily with the ridiculous situations the series frequently thrusts him into. Bullock is a real highlight of this long-running animated sitcom, and one of the reasons American Dad has come to eclipse Family Guy in popularity.
Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Rest in A Christmas Carol (circa 1991)
OK, this isn’t from a movie or show, but… When not in space or training mutants in Westchester or doing some other crazy sci-fi stuff, Stewart was often on stage. It’s where he came from, of course, as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and as Star Trek: The Next Generation began to wind down, he found himself back doing theater often. One of his most memorable turns on stage was in his one-man-show version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, where he played some 40 characters himself! Who could forget the moment where he wept for Tiny Tim? We wept too!
Leodegrance in Excalibur (1981)
Before Star Trek, before X-Men, Stewart was one of King Arthur’s knights! In fact, he was King Arthur’s father-in-law, specifically in John Boorman’s Excalibur. This was a Stewart who was still getting his sea legs in movies, and his role in the film isn’t huge – but it is memorable. “It’s the boy king!” he hollers in that way only Sir Patrick Stewart could, as young Arthur rides to the rescue early in the movie. Looking back on the film now, his presence is powerful.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek (1987-2023)
And then there’s Jean-Luc Picard, a character who we all love today but who wasn’t necessarily welcomed with open arms back when The Next Generation debuted in 1987. Fans are gonna fan, and frankly, first-season Picard did take a bit of getting used to, as even Stewart himself would later admit that he had to acclimate to a life of shooting episodic, American television and being around a kind of wacky cast of co-stars in Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, et al.
But the funny thing about that is, it’s pretty clear that those crazy Americans helped to complete Mr. Royal Shakespeare Company in a way that might never have happened if he hadn’t put on the spacesuit. As Stewart grew into the role of Picard, a humanity emerged that became the bedrock not just of TNG, but really of Star Trek for an entire, well, generation. Make it so, Sir Patrick. Make it so.
What are your favorite Patrick Stewart roles? Let’s discuss in the comments!
