Yesterday, many of us felt a pang of loss as we got the news that Patrick Stewart, an actor who played roles as diverse as MacBeth, Gurney Halleck (you know, from Dune), Lenin, that mind-reading school headmaster from the X-Men, and, of course, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise, died on Wednesday. Stewart was one of those people who seemed to have the need to act encoded into his DNA from his days as a zygote, and the amount of joy he brought to people via his work as an actor can’t be measured.
Stewart died after a “a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” according to his spokesperson. He was 86.
There will, of course, be many more comprehensive obituaries out there, but from our perspective, it’s worth noting that Stewart was also something of a gearhead, a lifelong lover of cars, despite – or, really, maybe enhanced by – growing up in a poor Yorkshire family without a car, and a car history that started with an MG TF. When he started making real money from Star Trek: The Next Generation, instead of going out and buying a Porsche or something flashy, he got a 1989 Honda Prelude Si. Honestly, good choice.
Stewart described his early car life and his love of Jaguars when he was on Top Gear:
He also happily boasted about how he has a “wire wheel cleaning man,” which may be one of the best trappings of success I can imagine. He also wrung that Suzuki Liana around the Top Gear track at a very respectable 1:50, putting him in a three-way tie for fourth place with Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey.
Stewart has done a bit of racing himself, and has been a lifelong follower of motorsport despite once saying
“Speed is not a particularly big passion of mine,”
… but I feel like I understand that, and believe that you can certainly love cars and racing even if you’re not so interested in being fast. You won’t win much, sure, but you can still have fun.
Stewart raced at the Silverstone Classic in Morgans in 2012, and in a tiny Austin A35 in 2017. Stewart has an A35 in his personal car collection, alongside such (allegedly) quicker cars as a McLaren 650S, a Porsche 911, his beloved Jaguar XJ12, and, at least one car possibly slower than the A35, a 1939 Ford Popular.
His love of motorsport can also be seen as he hosted the above documentary about Sir Sterling Moss, which includes a scene of Stewart and Moss driving together in a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing.
Stewart also loaned his resonant voice to at least two carmakers, both starting with P, as in Picard or Pterodactyl, but beyond that coincidence, wildly different: Pontiac and Porsche. Here, listen:
It’s fantastic to hear him say “a turbocharged intercooled V6 engine” and “dent-resistant composite body panels” in that authoritative Starfleet Captain voice.
His Porsche voiceover work has a somewhat more introspective tone, but, as usual, Stewart makes it, um, so.
Patrick Stewart was clearly someone who reveled in the joys of cars, like you or I, and seemed to be a generous and kind man as well, supporting a wide array of human rights causes, with perhaps a special emphasis on LGBTQ+ rights, often by the side of one of his best friends, Sir Ian McKellan.
For someone known for playing roles of such authoritative figures, it’s especially delightful to realize that Stewart was a funny, and by many reports, even silly, person. His sense of humor and willingness to poke fun at himself are wonderfully shown when he played (a very twisted version of) himself on the Ricky Gervais’ BBC/HBO series Extras:
Yes, he’s seen everything.
Patrick Stewart – gearhead, actor, and good person – will be missed. I’ll leave us with this remarkable image of Stewart in his role in David Lynch’s Dune, in mid defiant scream, leaping into battle while cradling a pug:
Rest in peace, Patrick Stewart. May your wire wheels be clean forevermore.
Top graphic images: Paramount; Motorsports.com
I didn’t think I could admire the man more, but he raced Morgans?? Damn.
RIP, Mr. Stewart.
Much, much respect. Thank you Torch for this tribute to Professor Captain
I’ve seen my share of tributes to the man, but none more heartfelt than this. Thanks.
obligatory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nolpET4mgiI
Well done, Sir
I was such a jerk. When TNG first came on I thought a bald, middle-aged man for the lead in an action series was a huge mistake. I happily took my lumps.
This made me more sad than I would’ve expected. I guess Patrick Stewart kind of felt like one of those people who would just live forever.
Him and Dolly, seemingly universally loved and even though both very old, the world was still shocked for each of them.
I still feel like having a Guinness with him and Ian at a Skee-Ball game would be sublime.
100% for Dolly too. A low-stakes croquet game with the 3 of them. Heaven.
Dolly was only 80. That is not very old today, especially for a woman. Gone well before her time. Cancer sucks, and we should be pouring resources into defeating it rather than into killing each other over nonsense.
What a beautiful eulogy for a beautiful man. Jason, your writing is on another level