Daniel Kreps
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William Shatner and Patrick Stewart, 2011 David Livingston/Getty Images William Shatner paid tribute to Patrick Stewart, who succeeded him as captain of a Star Trek franchise, following the actor’s death at the age of 86.
Stewart, who portrayed Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, died just days after actor Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series starring Shatner as Captain Kirk.
What a heartbreaking week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of…
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 29, 2026
“What a heartbreaking week it has been,” Shatner wrote on social media, alluding to Koenig’s death as well. “Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did.”
Stewart’s Picard and Shatner’s Kirk eventually shared the screen together in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations, a passing-of-the-torch film that served as a cinematic send-off for the original Star Trek cast and a welcoming of The Next Generation crew to the big screen.
