Patrick Stewart put his Shakespearean talents on display in Instagram videos posted just months before his death at age 86.
The actor — who joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and went on to perform in more than a dozen stage productions of Shakespeare’s works — announced in April that he had released an audio collection of all 154 of the playwright’s sonnets, titled “Patrick Stewart Performs the Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare.”
Stewart explained that the idea came from the his wife, Sunny Ozell, following the success of his “Sonnet-A-Day” social media series during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later that month, to mark Shakespeare’s birthday, Stewart shared a video of himself seated on a couch in a green button-down shirt and brown blazer, reciting lines from what he described as his “most favorite sonnet,” Sonnet 116.
“I’ve converted a few of my friends to its cause, and I’m hoping you’re next. Cheers!” he quipped in the caption.
In May, Stewart returned to Instagram to mark the anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s sonnets in 1609, sharing what he hoped listeners would take away from his audio collection.
“I hope it has brought pleasure and curiosity, but more than anything else, I want it to have communicated all the multiple features that love might have,” he said.
The Instagram posts came nearly two years after what would become Stewart’s final public appearance.
In June 2024, he was photographed on the red carpet at the 84th annual Peabody Awards, held at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles.
Stewart died Wednesday at his Los Angeles home following a brief battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy body dementia, in the “loving care” of Ozell, 47, according to a statement posted to his Instagram.
“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all,” the statement read in part.
“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
In his final interview in July, Stewart said there were “fewer and fewer available roles” for older actors.
“I still continue to receive interesting offers, and I love being challenged by new work,” he told TV Insider. “I can’t imagine ever officially ‘retiring.’ I’ll always and forever be an actor.”
Throughout his storied career, Stewart was best known for his roles as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier, also known as Professor X, in the “X-Men” film series.
Stewart’s “Star Trek” franchise co-star William Shatner paid tribute to the actor on Instagram Thursday, describing him as “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,” Shatner, 95, wrote. “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.”
Meanwhile, Marvel Studios honored Stewart’s portrayal of Professor X in a statement, saying he “leaves behind an indelible cultural footprint and legacy,” while Hugh Jackman and other Marvel Cinematic Universe stars also paid tribute to the late actor.
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