Sir Patrick Stewart passed this week at the age of 86 after a long and illustrious acting career. The icon went from stage shows in the West End to the star of the long-running Star Trek series to playing Professor X in the X-Men movies and more. Over the course of his career, Stewart became close and life-long friends with fellow actor Ian McKellen.
McKellen and Stewart were both members of the Royal Shakespeare Company together in the 1970s, and the pair starred together as rivals Magneto and Professor X in the X-Men universe. They also took to the stage in performances of Waiting for Godot (2009) and No Man's Land (2013, 2016). The Lord of the Rings actor took to social media on Thursday to share some kind words for his longtime friend.
"Before
everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end," McKellen said in a statement. "You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love."
SIR PATRICK STEWART (1940-2026)
— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) October 30, 2026
Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he… pic.twitter.com/Ij8JRkziF1
Stewart and McKellen will share the screen one final time as they star in this December's Avengers: Doomsday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Ian McKellen shares heartfelt Patrick Stewart tribute: 'Wore his heart on his sleeve'
