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Patrick Stewart tribute by Sir Ian McKellen

The man who became a global icon never stopped sounding like himself because he was born and raised in Yorkshire, the northern English county Patrick Stewart loved until his final days. That regional identity shaped everything about him, from the accent that colored his voice to the stern honesty with which he shared what he thought and felt. Men from that area simply do not engage with half-truths or sidestep significant problems. He wore his heart on his sleeve, a trait that made him someone reliable enough to admire and, for Sir Ian McKellen, someone to love. Their paths first crossed as young actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company roughly fifty years ago, though they were never cast together in the same productions during those early years. Years later, McKellen recalls spotting Stewart on a London street where the actor mentioned receiving an offer for a leading role in Star Trek. The advice offered then was to think carefully about leaving a UK stage career behind to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years. Stewart decided to take that leap, gaining fame among Trekkies and audiences worldwide while proving the gamble worthwhile. His international celebrity allowed him to star in cinema successes including the X-Men films alongside great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter, and Beckett performed at Stratford-upon-Avon, London's West End, and Broadway. America served as his adopted home where he met his partner Sunny, who cared for him through illness and health. Despite living in the US, he remained deeply connected to his origins, culminating in the appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.

1h

Jgrao@Jgrao

Follow

Patrick Stewart tribute by Sir Ian McKellen

The man who became a global icon never stopped sounding like himself because he was born and raised in Yorkshire, the northern English county Patrick Stewart loved until his final days. That regional identity shaped everything about him, from the accent that colored his voice to the stern honesty with which he shared what he thought and felt. Men from that area simply do not engage with half-truths or sidestep significant problems. He wore his heart on his sleeve, a trait that made him someone reliable enough to admire and, for Sir Ian McKellen, someone to love. Their paths first crossed as young actors at the Royal Shakespeare Company roughly fifty years ago, though they were never cast together in the same productions during those early years. Years later, McKellen recalls spotting Stewart on a London street where the actor mentioned receiving an offer for a leading role in Star Trek. The advice offered then was to think carefully about leaving a UK stage career behind to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years. Stewart decided to take that leap, gaining fame among Trekkies and audiences worldwide while proving the gamble worthwhile. His international celebrity allowed him to star in cinema successes including the X-Men films alongside great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter, and Beckett performed at Stratford-upon-Avon, London's West End, and Broadway. America served as his adopted home where he met his partner Sunny, who cared for him through illness and health. Despite living in the US, he remained deeply connected to his origins, culminating in the appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.

1h