Tributes pour in for West Yorkshire's Sir Patrick Stewart following his death
The Shakespearean actor, who also starred in X-Men and Star Trek, died at the age of 86
Tributes have been pouring in for West Yorkshire's Sir Patrick Stewart who's died aged 86 following a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The actor - who was born in Mirfield - began his career on stage before finding international acclaim in the likes of Star Trek and X-Men.
Greg Doran's the former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company:
"He just wasn't pretentious. He was always very democratic in his approach.
"And that I think that was what made him so popular, I don't think he had an enemy in the world.
"He approached Shakespeare or sci-fi with the same truth, the same resonance, and that wonderful trained voice, it was unmistakeable.
"What Patrick brought was a sort of no nonsense Yorkshire approach, of knowing that if you have really firm craftmanship, you've got the discipline - you've really honed your skills then you can do any of those things, you can do the whole range."
Downing Street said Sir Patrick “brought joy to millions”, while C o-star Sir Ian McKellan says he was a man to 'rely on, to admire and in his case, love.'
Sir Patrick had a career spanning six decades he worked across stage and screen, winning a Grammy and two Olivier Awards.
While David Threlfall-Sykes from Patrick's beloved Huddersfield Town is the Chief Operating Officer. He said:
"He's such a personable, kind, lovely normal man when you got the chance to, when you were lucky enough to speak to him.
"He's just this massive Hollywood star, I grew up with him as Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek.
"Kids were coming up to him as they knew him as Professor X from X men. You know he really did span the generations."