Patrick Stewart passes away at 86: What Star Trek’s Captain Picard said about retirement months before his death - ‘I’ll always and forever be an actor’

Patrick Stewart death: Retirement was not on Patrick Stewart’s mind when he spoke about his career in a July interview. At 86, the actor was still interested in taking on new roles, even as he acknowledged that finding work can become harder with age.

Stewart died on October 28 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. However, in the months before his death, he spoke about his future in acting and his willingness to continue working.

Sir Patrick Stewart Wanted to Keep Acting

Speaking to TV Insider in July, Stewart discussed the challenges actors face as they grow older. He said he was still receiving interesting offers and remained open to work that presented new challenges.


The actor, known for playing Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X) in the X-Men film series told TV Insider at that time, "I can’t imagine ever officially “retiring.” I’ll always and forever be an actor."

Stewart had spent decades working across theatre, television and film. Despite his long career, he was not looking to walk away from the profession.

In his July interview, the English actor spoke about the difficulties older performers can face in finding work, saying, "As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older. That being said, I still continue to receive interesting offers and I love being challenged by new work, like voicing a pig’s head in Riz Ahmed‘s brilliant new series Bait," as quoted in the report.

Patrick Stewart Cause of Death: Professor X Actor Dies Following Dementia Battle

The Star Trek and X-Men actor died at his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. His representatives said in a statement on Thursday that, “We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia," as quoted by The Sun.

It added, “A son of Mirfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he travelled from the Royal Shakespeare Company to an equally acclaimed career spanning six decades on Broadway, the silver screen and television. His sonorous voice and singular talent will forever be synonymous with indelible performances in every genre."