Patrick Stewart had no intention of officially retiring from acting before his death. The legendary actor, who brought iconic characters like Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek and Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men to life, said, “I’ll always and forever be an actor.”
Here’s what Patrick Stewart said about retirement in his final interview before his death at 86
Months before his death on October 28, Stewart spoke to TV Insider about his career and future projects.
He said, “As any actor my age will tell you, there are fewer and fewer available roles as we get older. That being said, I still continue to receive interesting offers, and I love being challenged by new work, like voicing a pig’s head in Riz Ahmed‘s brilliant new series Bait. I can’t imagine ever officially ‘retiring.’ I’ll always and forever be an actor.”
Stewart celebrated his 86th birthday on July 13. He also planned to return as Professor X in Avengers: Doomsday.
During the interview, he reflected on the lasting impact of Star Trek. The franchise celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2026. Stewart also recalled his early days working on The Next Generation.
He said, “All of these anniversaries are wildly surreal for me, but the 40th anniversary of The Next Generation is particularly remarkable. I still remember my first day driving onto the Paramount lot like it was yesterday.”
Stewart died at his home in Los Angeles on October 28. His family described his illness as “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.” His official Instagram account confirmed the news in a post.
The post ended with Stewart’s own words from his 2023 memoir, Making It So. The passage reflected on his connection with Jean-Luc Picard.
“Like me, Jean-Luc has lived an unusual life that has taken him far beyond the bounds of normal human experience,” the quote read. “But he is also someone who has remained true to his earthbound roots, for they are what gave him his identity. In the end, he feels the call of home, as do I.”
