Star Trek and X-Men actor Patrick Stewart dies at 86

Patrick Stewart, the beloved actor best-known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek universe and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, has died at age 86.

Stewart's death was announced on his official social media accounts with a message from his family encouraging donations to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources in lieu of flowers. Stewart had been battling Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia when he died at his home in Los Angeles.

"He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all," reads his family's statement in part.

A classical thespian and stage giant trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Stewart's career spans more than 60 years in live theater, film, and TV. Stewart spent decades on stage establishing his signature commanding presence before landing his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation at age 47. That role gave him household status and kickstarted a prolific on-screen career that would land him three Golden Globe nominations, four Emmy nominations, one Tony Award nomination, and even a Grammy Award for his narration of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 in honor of his contributions to film and theater.

Stewart was also a longtime advocate against domestic violence, supporter of veterans' charities, animal rights activist, and self-proclaimed feminist.