“A man to rely on, admire and in my case, love” – Ian McKellen’s tribute to Stewartpublished at 01:03 GMT
Image source, Getty ImagesIan McKellen and Patrick Stewart at a film premiere in 2020
Sir Ian McKellen, one of Britain’s greatest actors, paid tribute to Patrick Stewart on social media.
He remembers his “first strong memory” of Stewart being when he told him he was considering a role in the Star Trek series. McKellen advised against it, warning him to “think about his stage career”.
“Well, he took the risk, and thank God for everything he did…” McKellen went on to star alongside Stewart in the X-Men series. The couple also appeared together in a 2009 theater production Waiting for Godot.
The two actors were close friends. Stewart played Professor
McKellen said Stewart “never abandoned his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and loved actor of his generation on both sides of the Atlantic was his appointment as chancellor of the University of Huddersfield in Yorkshire”.
Stewart “told you what he was thinking and feeling,” McKellen wrote. “He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man who could be counted on, admired and, in my case, loved.”
The two have frequently expressed their affection for each other during red carpet interviews. McKellen also officiated Stewart’s wedding in 2013.
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