Patrick Stewart, Star Trek and X-Men actor, dies at 86 following a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease

Veteran Hollywood actor Patrick Stewart, known for playing the iconic Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise and Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek Series, has died at the age of 86. According to his longtime spokesperson Kelly Bush Novak, Stewart died after a brief struggle with "Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.”

The news of his death was announced on his official X page. The post revealed that the actor died at his Los Angeles home and was battling Alzheimer's disease.

In the statement, Kelly Bush Novak said the actor died following "a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia".

The post further stated, “In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources."

The veteran actor is survived by his third wife, singer Sunny Ozell and two children - Daniel and Sophia- from his first marriage to actress Sheila Falconer.

Tributes pour in for Patrick Stewart

As soon as the news of his death broke, tributes poured in from colleagues and friends. Actor Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the X-Men film franchise, remembered his co-star as a ‘tremendous friend and man’.

"We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days," he wrote on social media.

In a statement on its official X account, Marvel Studios, the home of X-Men, said they are "deeply saddened" by Patrick Stewart's death.

"Sir Patrick brought Professor Charles Xavier to life with extraordinary grace, intelligence, and humanity, defining the character for generations of fans, from X-Men to Logan to Avengers: Doomsday. He was a singular talent, a generous collaborator, and a true gentleman. Our hearts go out to his wife Sunny, his children, his friends, and the countless fans around the world whose lives he touched with his art," the studio said in the statement.

William Shatner, who played Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek, took to X to mourn Stewart’s death.

"What a heartbreaking week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work. My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed," he wrote.

Stewart’s life and career

In his 60-year career across theatre, cinema, and television, Patrick Stewart received various accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Grammy Award. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama in 2010.

The actor, who hailed from Yorkshire in northern England, worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in London, as well as on British television.

Stewart was 47 when he debuted as Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the first live-action television spinoff of the trailblazing sci-fi series from the late 1960s.

He effectively filled the boots of William Shatner's Captain Kirk from the original show -- to resounding success, both in the TV series and in several films.

Picard became known for a few catchphrases including "Make it so" and "Engage!"

He effectively filled the boots of William Shatner's Captain Kirk from the original show -- to resounding success, both in the TV series and in several films.

His move to America in 1987 was initially greeted with disdain by the Los Angeles Times, which wrote him off as an "unknown British Shakespearean actor."

Stewart later dubbed suggestions that he was "slumming it" by moving into US television offensive.

He once called his Shakespearean bona fides “nothing but a preparation for sitting in the captain's chair of the Enterprise.”

'Colossus of both stage and screen'

Stewart found further acclaim in many films of the "X-Men" series, debuting in 2000 as Professor Charles Xavier, the founder and mentor of the mutant superhero team.

Stewart is to make his final on-screen film appearance as Professor Xavier in "Avengers: Doomsday," set for release in December.

Stewart's death marked the second in days from the "Star Trek" universe, following that of Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the original series.

Stewart earned four Emmy nominations but never won. He did nab a spoken word Grammy, for his narration of "Prokofiev: Peter And The Wolf."

And even as he found success in Hollywood, Stewart's love of theater, and the bard in particular, never left him.

Between filming, he would return to the stage, winning two Olivier awards.

Shakespeare, Stewart said, "feels like a friend, someone who just went out of the room to get another bottle of wine."

Knighted in 2010, Stewart married three times: to Sheila Falconer, with whom he had two children; briefly to "Star Trek" producer Wendy Neuss; and most recently to American singer Sunny Ozell, 38 years his junior.