Ian McKellen, Pete Buttigieg & Jeffrey co-stars pay tribute to Patrick Stewart

Besides a key role in the beloved "Jeffrey," Patrick Stewart also played a gay role on Frasier.

Mark Mark
Oct 30, 2026 - 20:00
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Patrick Stewart
Marc Ayres (Shutterstock.com)

Figures from across the entertainment world have paid tribute to Patrick Stewart following the announcement of the actor’s passing yesterday at the age of 86.

Stewart’s family said he died of Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia in Los Angeles.

Stewart shot to fame in the U.S. for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation in the 1990s, and for the X-Men movies. He also had a long and distinguished theatre career.

Ian McKellen

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Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart
Fred Duval (Shutterstock.com)

It was early in his theater career that Stewart first encountered fellow British actor, Ian McKellen. The two men became lifelong friends. They often worked together on screen and stage.

McKellen was among those to pay tribute. He noted how proud Stewart was to come from Yorkshire in the north of England (McKellen is from the neighboring British county, Lancashire)

“Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues,” said McKellen. “He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.”

He went on to explain how they first met as young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and praised Stewart for heading to Hollywood.

“‘But Patrick think of your stage career in the U.K.,” he said. “Do you really want to risk—getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?’. Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences, who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays.”

Jeffrey

Stewart also starred in a beloved 1990s gay movie: Jeffrey. He played a gay character in the film, and his fellow actors were among those to remember him.

Steven Weber said, “What a privilege to have worked with and known this man. Gentle, wise, funny. Working on Jeffrey was a thrill, a lovely summer in NYC. Thank you so much, Sir. ❤”

Bryan Batt said, “Heartbroken at the news of Sir Patrick’s passing. He was one of the most talented, kindest, and generous actors I’ve ever had the honor of working with. I was lucky to play his lover in the film of Paul Rudnick’s JEFFREY. Even though I created the role on stage, it was my 1st film and needless to say I was a bit anxious. Patrick took me under his wing and guided me along, teaching me so much. A wonderful giving actor and true gentleman of the theatre. Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

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Frasier

Besides Jeffrey, clips of another gay role that Stewart played also went viral yesterday. In Season 11 of Frasier (2003), Stewart played Alistair Burke, a debonair Seattle Opera conductor who mistakenly believes Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is gay and begins romantically courting him. Enjoy some clips below.

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Pete Buttigieg

Pete Buttigieg, who once interviewed Stewart while guest hosting on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2020, also fondly remembered him.

“They say you should never meet your heroes, but as one of millions who grew up admiring Patrick Stewart, it was a joy to get to know him and discover that his kindness and decency were just as great as his enormous, generational talent,” he said.

“There will not be another like him, and with the sad news of his passing, our thoughts are with his wife Sunny, his family, and his many friends. Our culture is so much richer because of Sir Patrick Stewart’s life and work.”

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Glee star Chris Colfer posted, “I absolutely loved this man. Childhood would have been so bleak without all the adventures he took us on. Thank you for everything, Patrick. ❤”

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Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in many of the X-Men movies, said, “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.”

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The late Patrick Stewart played a sassy old queen in Jeffrey, the gay comedy that was way ahead of its time
RIP Patrick Stewart, friend & ally to the gays.

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