Patrick Stewart, who rose to prominence as an actor of Shakespeare\u2019s works before becoming a household name as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on the TV series \u201cStar Trek: The Next Generation,\u201d died Wednesday in Los Angeles. He was 86. <\/p>\n
He died after a \u201cbrief and poignant journey with\u201d Alzheimer\u2019s disease and Lewy body dementia, Mr. Stewart\u2019s social media accounts<\/a> shared in a statement. <\/p>\n Mr. Stewart spent almost two decades as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, appearing in productions of \u201cHamlet,\u201d \u201cThe Tempest\u201d and \u201cMuch Ado About Nothing.\u201d But the English actor experienced a profound breakthrough to American audiences with his role as the serene Picard in the Star Trek spin-off. <\/p>\n \u201cFor a lot of people, I will be locked for all time on the bridge of the Enterprise in my spacesuit,\u201d he told The Washington Post<\/a> in 1997. \u201cNot only am I reconciled to that, I\u2019m quite proud of it. The show represents quality television. It was intelligent, thoughtful, argumentative, and it also told wonderful stories.\u201d<\/p>\n He kept one foot in the theater world, taking on the title role of \u201cOthello\u201d at Washington\u2019s Shakespeare Theatre in 1997, while also appearing in other science-fiction universes. In Hollywood, Mr. Stewart is perhaps synonymous with his role in the X-Men series as Professor X, who supported the powers of other superheroes. <\/p>\n Mr. Stewart\u2019s marriages to Sheila Falconer and Star Trek producer Wendy Neuss ended in divorce. In 2013, he married singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell. He has two children from his first marriage. Information on survivors was not immediately available. <\/p>\n No matter the role, Mr. Stewart brought his training from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where he learned to draw on his challenging and rewarding experiences in his personal life. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were taught how to store emotions,\u201d he said of the experience in 2014<\/a>. \u201cIt means no experience is ever wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a developing story. Check back for updates.<\/p>\n