Patrick Stewart bio, age, height, wife, net worth, family 2025

Biography of Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart is an eminent British stage and screen actor, who graces the Guinness World Records as the longest-standing performer of the role of Professor Charles Francis Xavier in the series of "X-Men" projects. His portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the iconic "Star Trek" series has been beloved by fans for decades. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth, he is an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. The stage of the Royal Shakespeare Company holds a special place in his heart, a lifelong passion.

Childhood and Early Life

Born in the summer of 1940, Patrick was the third child of Gladys Barrow, a weaver, and Alfred Stewart, a regimental sergeant major. His brothers, Geoffrey and Trevor, were respectively fifteen and five years his senior.

Patrick Stewart with his mother in childhood

The family lived a life marked by poverty, with his father serving in the British army from the outset of World War II and suffering from mental health issues. His post-traumatic stress disorder manifested as aggressive behavior toward his children, especially young Patrick, stemming from his experience at Dunkirk.

Patrick Stewart Talks About His Father

Patrick spent most of his childhood in the small town of Jarrow before attending Church School in Crowley. At the age of eleven, he was transferred to a school in Mirfield where the shy and introverted boy was noticed by Cecil Dormand, a literature teacher and drama club organizer. A passionate Shakespeare enthusiast, he inspired the same love in his students. This marked Patrick's first encounter with Shakespearean monologues, leading him to enrol in a drama course in Mytholmroyd where he met his first true friend, Brian Blessed. Their childhood friendship continues to this day.

When Patrick decided to leave school at fifteen, Dormand asked if he'd ever considered becoming a professional actor. The teenager just laughed it off, believing acting was out of reach for someone from his background, and took a job as a local newspaper reporter. But the idea of acting stuck with Patrick, and he began taking private lessons from a well-known actress for four years before enrolling in drama school.

This was made possible when local authorities from his hometown funded Stewart's theatrical education. He won a scholarship, a feat that was practically a lifeline for the young man. Patrick later admitted he could hardly believe it when the postman delivered a brown envelope containing his acceptance letter. Since then, the actor has always trusted in his good fortune.

Patrick made his professional theatre debut on the Lincoln stage at the age of nineteen. He joined a theater company, started landing new roles, and began earning extra money from TV productions. For different roles, the actor had to wear wigs because he had begun to lose his hair a year before his debut. This worried the young actor, but his work kept him from dwelling on fears about his attractiveness.

Acting Career

The Royal Shakespeare Company recognized Patrick's talent in the mid-sixties and invited him to join their main ensemble. There, he shared the stage with distinguished actors such as Helen Mirren, Ian Richardson, and Ben Kingsley.

For more than twenty-five years, Stewart stayed loyal to theater, taking on roles in productions like "King Lear," "Hamlet," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Macbeth." Patrick's television performances in these plays left a lasting impression on viewers, with standout productions including "Antony and Cleopatra," "I, Claudius," and "Fall of Eagles."

In the mid-seventies, Stewart was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in 1975. His performance as Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice" captivated London audiences night after night, earning thunderous applause. But Stewart's favorite play was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," a performance that earned rave reviews from critics who called it exceptional. Meanwhile, Stewart continued working in television series and films.

Patrick Stewart doing Shakespeare in 1969

Stewart's first significant screen recognition came with the release of David Lynch's "Dune," where he played the role of Gurney Halleck. In the eighties, Stewart appeared on screen in several roles including Dr. Armstrong in "Lifeforce" and Henry Grey in the historical drama "Lady Jane."

Then a lucky break changed his career forever. As Stewart recalled, he arrived in Los Angeles to conduct a masterclass on Shakespeare and the art of drama. His Hollywood agent called with unexpected news: Gene Roddenberry, creator of the iconic "Star Trek," wanted to meet him.

I was in shock: Of course, I knew about the legendary creator of 'Star Trek,' like everyone else, but what could he possibly want from me? It turned out, one of the co-producers (Robert Justman) and his wife attended my lecture and were so impressed that they immediately called Gene. After four auditions, I was offered the lead role - Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Stewart faced a dilemma: saying yes meant a six-year commitment to move from London to the States, something he wasn't ready for. Still, Patrick agreed, secretly hoping the show would fail after the first episode so he could return home guilt-free. But his "cunning" plan backfired, and Stewart stayed with the franchise for nearly thirty years, ending with the tenth film "Star Trek: Nemesis."

Patrick Stewart in "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

At the same time, the iconic captain took on other fascinating projects. When he met director Bryan Singer in 1997 on the set of Richard Donner's political thriller "Conspiracy Theory," Singer was already working on the sci-fi film "X-Men" and instantly saw him as the perfect Charles Xavier from the popular comic. Patrick was surprised by this since he'd never been into comics—his passion was theater. But the offer intrigued him, and as Stewart later admitted, it became the "most amusing exploration of a role" in his acting career.

It turned out the director had a completely different vision for the lead character, making Stewart's character research pointless. The filming process captivated him and introduced him to fascinating people. Some, such as Ian McKellen (Magneto), ultimately became true friends of Stewart.

Ian McKellen & Patrick Stewart on Envy, Star Trek Costumes & the Gandalf Face

A year older than Patrick and openly gay, this didn't create any barrier to their friendship - two sophisticated men with similar tastes and outlooks on life. Sometimes, when journalists got too pushy, the actors would playfully ham up their friendship for the cameras.

The film "X-Men", despite critics expecting it to flop, became hugely popular. An incredibly talented cast pulled off the impossible: like "Star Trek", the franchise lasted for years. Stewart credits the film's success to focusing not just on the mutants' amazing powers, but on telling a story about accepting people who are different.

'X-Men' is a reference to our contemporary issues, to the right to be different, whether it's about race, gender, or sexual orientation. People who are 'different' should be able to live in peace and express who they are, believes Sir Patrick Stewart.

In 2019, at age 79, Stewart thrilled fans with two new roles: Merlin in Joe Cornish's British fantasy "The Kid Who Would Be King" and John Bosley in the comedic action film "Charlie's Angels" by Elizabeth Banks. As the latter film starred famed American actress Kristen Stewart, some viewers started wondering if the actors were related. But beyond sharing the same last name, Patrick and Kristen aren't related at all.

Patrick Stewart's Personal Life

Despite concerns about early-onset alopecia, Patrick married choreographer Sheila Falconer in 1966. The couple soon welcomed two children - son Daniel and daughter Sophia.

The family struggled with barely seeing their father, who was constantly working. His theater earnings allowed Stewart to provide for his family with a suburban London home and private schooling for Daniel and Sophia.

Patrick Stewart, his first wife Sheila Falconer, and their children

Incidentally, after finishing school, Daniel Stewart also became an actor, appearing alongside his father in an episode of "Star Trek" and in the thriller "Death Train".

Once Patrick became a fan favorite as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his wife Sheila's patience finally ran out. After nearly twenty-five years of marriage, she filed for divorce.

Patrick Stewart 1998 Interview

The actor lived alone for several years, and in 1994, he met Wendy Neuss, the producer of their joint TV project. Their relationship developed slowly, leading to marriage in 2000. However, Patrick and Wendy remained married for only three years.

The reason for their parting, according to tabloids, was actress Lisa Dillon, who was rumoured to have had a long affair with Stewart, despite a forty-year age difference.

Five years later, Patrick met Sunny Ozell, a singer-songwriter who loved classical theater. In 2008, she came to watch Patrick's performance in "Macbeth".

After five years together, they married in a ceremony officiated by Ian McKellen. The couple settled in their own home in one of the neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

The wedding of Patrick Stewart and Sunny Ozell

In 2017, a pet joined the family - a pit bull named Ginger. Sunny initially fostered the dog, but after growing attached to her, the couple decided to keep her permanently.

Patrick Stewart Now

2020 marked a milestone for the actor. He turned 80. Despite his age and arthritis, Patrick looked energetic and healthy in "Star Trek: Picard", which ran from 2020 to 2023.

On the set of the series "Star Trek: Picard"

During lockdown, the actor dedicated time to fans of his beloved William Shakespeare. On his Instagram, he held daily online readings of the great works. His charisma and powerful voice earned widespread praise for introducing audiences to Shakespeare's timeless, beautiful language.

At the end of 2020, Patrick Stewart also briefly returned to the role of Professor Xavier in the sequel to "Doctor Strange". The film was released in May 2022.