Patrick Stewart embodied the value of aging actors

Patrick Stewart’s career demonstrated how experienced actors can give aging franchises greater emotional depth by allowing their characters to evolve rather than relying solely on nostalgia. | AFP-JIJI

By Miles Surrey
Bloomberg

Nov 4, 2026

For generations of fans, prolific actor Patrick Stewart had become inseparable from the characters he played. So when news came that he died on Wednesday, many paid tribute to the 86-year-old by invoking the fictional icons he left behind.

While his career spanned decades and encompassed many kinds of roles — from Royal Shakespeare Company productions to a low-budget A24 thriller — nothing looms as large in popular culture as his work in the “Star Trek” and “X-Men” projects.

It’s only fitting, then, that Stewart’s final film role will be in “Avengers: Doomsday,” returning for the ninth time as the mutant Charles Xavier. That superhero fans and Trekkies alike hold such affection for his characters, which he continued playing well into his 80s, isn’t just a testament to their longevity; it shows the value of highly skilled aging actors in an industry that tends to overlook them completely or fails to make the most of their talents.

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