Sir Patrick Stewart died on October 28 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 86, prompting tributes from St Catherine’s College in Oxford, where he had been an Emeritus Cameron Mackintosh Fellow since 2006.
The college remembered Stewart as one of Britain’s most distinguished actors and a significant contributor to its work with contemporary theatre.
He became its Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre in 2006, helping to bring prominent figures from the performing arts into contact with the Oxford community.
During that academic appointment, Stewart presented a Cameron Mackintosh Lecture at the college.
He used the occasion to reflect on a career of more than six decades across theatre, film and television.
His association with St Catherine’s, commonly known as St Catz, continued long after his visiting professorship.
The college also had an established professional link with its Master, Jude Kelly CBE, who directed Stewart in Shakespeare’s Othello in 1997 and J.
B.
Priestley’s Johnson Over Jordan in 2001.
Kelly described the actor as exceptional and said his contribution to the three branches of entertainment was considerable.
Having worked with him on two productions, Kelly praised Stewart’s commitment to his profession and the extensive experience evident in his performances.
Stewart and Kelly also collaborated on efforts to increase awareness of domestic abuse through Stewart’s role as an ambassador for Refuge.
Kelly said Stewart was committed to using the visibility of his public career for positive purposes.
In his tribute, he said Stewart’s influence on successive generations of actors and audiences would remain and that the actor would be deeply missed.
St Catherine’s offered its condolences to Stewart’s family, friends and colleagues.
Among the entertainment figures responding to his death was Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard.
Frakes said there was no other performer with whom he had acted or directed so frequently, describing Stewart as his late friend.
Ian McKellen also published a lengthy account of their friendship.
The two first met while they were young performers at the Royal Shakespeare Company more than 50 years ago.
McKellen recalled warning Stewart about the risks of moving to Hollywood after accepting the role of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
In retrospect, he said the caution now appeared gentle and ironic.
Marvel Studios and Marvel Entertainment honoured Stewart together in a joint Instagram post focused on his performance as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
Stewart was also known for playing Professor Xavier, alongside his work as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Stewart maintained close connections with Oxfordshire during his later years.
He lived in a home near Chipping Norton and was among several prominent people associated with the Cotswolds area of west Oxfordshire.