RIP Patrick Stewart, the actor best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men movies, died Wednesday, October 28. He was 86. Stewart had Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, though neither diagnosis was made public until after his death.

After his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak, formally announced his passing, tributes poured in from around the world. Fans and former colleagues recalled his iconic roles and marveled at how easily he moved between commercial cinema and classical Shakespearean theater.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who played Wolverine in the X-Men movies, called Stewart a "tremendous friend" and praised his contribution to the entertainment industry. "We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days," he wrote on Instagram.

Another former co-star, English actor Ian McKellen, also mourned Stewart's death, describing him as a proud Yorkshireman and one of the most respected and beloved actors of his generation. In a long, heartfelt message on Instagram, McKellen said Stewart was "a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love."

" In a social media post, Shatner wrote, "What a heartbreaking week it has been," an apparent reference to the death of Walter Koenig earlier in the week. Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek, died October 25 at 90.

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