Hugh Jackman has paid tribute to Patrick Stewart, his longtime X-Men costar and friend. “I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days,” he wrote in an October 29 Instagram post.
Stewart died at his Los Angeles home on October 28 at 86. His spokesperson said he had been in the care of his wife, Sunny Ozell, following a brief period with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, according to Reuters.
Jackman and Stewart first appeared together as Wolverine and Professor Charles Xavier in 2000’s X-Men. Stewart was already familiar to television audiences as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, whom he began playing on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987.
Their shared credits continued this year with The Sheep Detectives. Jackman played shepherd George Hardy, while Stewart voiced Sir Ritchfield, one of the animals in his flock, as Entertainment Weekly detailed in its cast guide.
Jackman Shared a Backstage Photograph and a ‘Logan’ Embrace
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The tribute paired a backstage photograph with an image of Jackman embracing Stewart during Logan. “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today,” Jackman wrote. “And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him.”
Their films together included X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: Days of Future Past. In James Mangold’s Logan, released in 2017, Wolverine cared for an ailing Xavier while protecting Laura, a young mutant played by Dafne Keen.
During his 2017 BAFTA interview, Jackman remembered filming a seven-and-a-half-minute scene with Stewart for the movie. He was conscious of working beside someone who had become both mentor and friend. When Mangold later showed them a cut of the scene, the actors embraced. Jackman recalled that someone photographed the moment.
He also remembered Stewart asking the then-11-year-old Keen to promise she would work in theater. After a satisfying day’s filming, Stewart regretted that they might never perform that material again. Onstage, he explained, she could return to a good scene night after night. Jackman remembered watching her absorb the advice.
They Held Hands as ‘Logan’ Ended at Its Berlin Premiere
During a March 1, 2017, joint interview with ABC Australia’s Lateline, Stewart explained how their years together had prepared them for the film. “Hugh and I have been preparing for this movie for 17 years,” he said.
Stewart recalled sitting beside Jackman at the Berlin premiere. Near the end, Jackman took his hand and then raised his other hand to his face. Stewart realized they were both crying. As the credits played, he decided there could be no more fitting way to leave Xavier behind.
He remained proud of the experience when discussing it with Variety in 2020. As SYFY reported at the time, Stewart described it as the best X-Men experience he and Jackman had shared. The film also earned an Academy Award nomination for adapted screenplay.
The work helped persuade him to revisit Picard. In a separate May 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart said he initially opposed another Star Trek series. He discussed Logan with the prospective writers, explaining that he did not want them to copy it. What interested him was the opportunity to approach a character he knew through substantially different circumstances.
William Shatner and Other Costars Remember Stewart
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William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk, praised Stewart’s intelligence, grace and humanity in a tribute quoted by The Associated Press. “Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him,” he said. He offered condolences to Ozell and Stewart’s family.
Jonathan Frakes said in a statement that he had acted with or directed no one more frequently than Stewart. Their collaboration extended from Frakes playing Commander William Riker opposite Picard to directing his longtime costar.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige remembered seeing Stewart on the set of the first X-Men. In a statement reported by Variety, he praised Stewart’s warmth and generosity, including the guidance he had given other performers. Mangold called Stewart “the beating heart of our film” in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.