Ian McKellen honors Patrick Stewart after his death

Ian McKellen has paid tribute to his longtime friend and co-star Patrick Stewart, who died Wednesday at 86. The two worked together for decades, starting in their early theater days with the Royal Shakespeare Company before later becoming widely known as Magneto and Professor X in the X-Men films.

In his statement, McKellen remembered Stewart’s Yorkshire roots, his direct way of speaking, and the way he carried himself. He said Stewart was someone people could trust and admire, and he recalled how Stewart chose to take on the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, which helped make him a major Hollywood name.

McKellen also noted Stewart’s stage work in plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter, and Beckett. He said Stewart’s adopted home was America, but that he never forgot where he came from. The two are set to appear together one last time in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, due out in December.