Obituary for Patrick Stewart: On a new hero's journey

Every ship needs a captain like that. Someone who acts carefully, does not allow himself to be provoked, and does everything he can to resolve conflicts diplomatically. Especially when it comes to “exploring alien worlds, new life and new civilizations”; simply “to boldly go where no one has gone before”.

When the new edition of “The Starship Enterprise” was successful on US television in 1987, it presented such a gentle leader in Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He was played by Patrick Stewart.

Stewart played theater at school, but left before graduating and became the first non-student to receive a scholarship to a renowned drama school. At the age of 19 he was on a professional theater stage (already bald), and seven years later he became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Britain's most prestigious theater company, and remained there until his 80s.

In addition to television appearances and a role as a zither-plucking, singing warrior in David Lynch's notorious 1984 adaptation of "Dune," the "unknown British mime," as the Los Angeles Time puzzled him, was cast as the bridge of the renovated "Enterprise" in 1987.

The role, which he said after initial hesitation, was “like a character from Henry IV.” catapulted him light years into US popular culture at warp speed. The expertise and seriousness that he brought with him turned the French-born wine fan Picard and his crew into a new type of science fiction and hero's journey story: Picard's adventures, presented by Stewart in a nuanced manner, with dry humor and a characteristically well-toned, trained voice, were based on elementary, philosophical questions; it was about the relevance of communication, diversity and discrimination.

The character became so successful that a superbly written spin-off called “Star Trek: Picard” was dedicated to him between 2020 and 2023.

Irritated by the “Typecast” experience that came with “Enterprise,” Picard subsequently took on a role that ushered in the next mega-mainstream success: From 2000 onwards, he portrayed the powerful, wheelchair-driving telepath, mutant humanist and “X-Men” founder Professor Xavier in the Marvel blockbusters and made every scene in this action series an impressive acting experience.

Stewart, who was never naturalized in the USA and describes himself as a socialist, continued to do theater on the side, campaigned against domestic violence and for women's rights and supported a PTSD charity. The father of two children, who suffered from dementia a while ago, ended up living with his third wife in Los Angeles, where he died on Wednesday. He remains a hopeful example that level-headed, peace-loving heroes have a chance in the world.