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Ian McKellen remembers his 50-year friendship with Patrick Stewart in emotional tribute; recalls warning him against joining Star Trek
Ian McKellen mourned his longtime friend and X-Men co-star Patrick Stewart, praising his honesty, warmth and talent.
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Hollywood is mourning the death of Patrick Stewart, who passed away on October 29 at the age of 86 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. Among those remembering the legendary actor is his close friend and X-Men co-star Ian McKellen, who penned an emotional tribute to him on social media, recalling their decades-long friendship and describing him as a man of honesty, warmth and immense talent.
Ian McKellen pens emotional tribute for friend
On Friday, Ian took to Instagram to share a heartfelt note in which he remembered Patrick as someone who wore his heart on his sleeve, making him a person to admire, rely on and, in his words, love. For Ian, Patrick's Yorkshire roots were an inseparable part of his identity. He wrote, “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 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.”
Ian also recalled how they first met as aspiring actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company, although they did not work in the same productions at the time. A few years later, he ran into Patrick on a London street, where the latter told him about an offer to take over a leading role in Star Trek.
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Recalling his reaction to the news, Ian wrote, “But Patrick, think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk—getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
He went on to acknowledge that Patrick's decision to take the role had been a risk worth taking, adding, “Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences, who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes ('X-Men' of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.”
Ian also reflected on Patrick's life in the US, which became his adopted home, and his relationship with wife Sunny Ozell. He wrote, “She (Sunny) has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin. But he never forsook his origins, and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire. His farewell performance in 'Avengers: Doomsday' is yet to be seen.”
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart's friendship
Ian and Patrick shared one of the most cherished friendships in the entertainment industry. The two British actors first crossed paths in the 1970s while working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but it was their collaboration in the 2000 film X-Men that brought them closer. While they portrayed sworn enemies Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier in the superhero franchise, their real-life relationship was marked by affection and mutual admiration.
The two bonded while working together and later collaborated on theatre productions, including Waiting for Godot and No Man's Land. Their friendship also extended to important personal milestones, with Ian officiating Patrick's wedding to singer Sunny Ozell in 2013. Patrick once revealed that Ian felt like a brother to him, while Ian described Patrick as someone he could rely on and admire. Their bond remained a favourite among fans, and the two often made headlines for openly expressing their affection, including sharing kisses on the lips at red-carpet events.
Apart from the first X-Men film in 2000, Ian and Patrick also starred in its sequels, X2 (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). The two will also appear in Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to release this December.
