‘X-Men’ Star Hugh Jackman Pays Tribute to Patrick Stewart After His Death
Some on-screen partnerships become so tied to the actors behind them that it’s hard to tell where the characters end. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Patrick Stewart’s Professor X were one of those pairings, a gruff loner and a gentle mentor who anchored the ‘X-Men’ films for nearly two decades. Now that Stewart has died, the friendship between the two men has become the center of many tributes.
Stewart died on October 28 at his home in Los Angeles, and his family announced the news the following day. Colleagues from across the industry have been sharing memories ever since, but few responses have felt as personal as the one from the actor who shared so many scenes with him.
Jackman posted a tribute on Instagram alongside behind-the-scenes photos of the pair, including one that appeared to come from the set of ‘Logan’. He called Stewart one of the greats of stage and screen, and a tremendous friend and man, and said he learned a great deal from him. He closed with a line promising to miss him all of his days, writing, “I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”
The message is short, but it says a lot. It describes Stewart as both a mentor and a friend, which is exactly how the two seemed to relate on and off camera.
The two actors worked together across the ‘X-Men’ films from the original in 2000 through ‘Logan’ in 2017. In that time, they grew from colleagues into close friends, something Stewart himself said at the time. At the ‘Logan’ premiere in Berlin, Stewart said the two had become such good friends over their years of working on the films together.
That event is remembered for how emotional it was. Both men reportedly wept while watching the film for the first time, and Stewart joked that if Jackman could wipe away a tear, so could he. Stewart also said he wouldn’t miss Jackman after the film because they were already discussing a new project to do together.
‘Logan’ gave both actors the most intimate material of their careers, with Wolverine caring for an aging, ailing Xavier in a near future where mutants are almost extinct. Stewart later said a mid-film scene was partly improvised, with he and Jackman working through an eight- or nine-minute improvisation, and a line from it made the final cut. The result is one of the warmest moments in the movie.
After the film opened, Jackman publicly thanked Stewart for his performance and friendship and asked what they should do next. Both actors had said ‘Logan’ would be their last time playing the characters, and both later returned, with Stewart as a Professor X variant in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and Jackman in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’.
Jackman wasn’t the only one to speak out. William Shatner wrote on Instagram that Stewart was a friend, a colleague and a magnificent actor, adding that from the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise he brought intelligence, grace and humanity to everything he did. Jonathan Frakes, who played William Riker opposite Stewart’s Captain Picard, shared a message wishing his friend rest in peace.
Marvel Studios also paid tribute, calling Stewart a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman. The studio confirmed that his final on-screen performance will be in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’.
That film arrives in theaters on December 18, with Stewart returning as Charles Xavier alongside Ian McKellen’s Magneto, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer. For fans, it will be a chance to say goodbye on the big screen. For Jackman, it is another reminder of the bond they shared.
Stewart’s family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s caregiver resources. His legacy is already being celebrated through the stories and images his co-stars are sharing.
What stands out in these tributes is how often they describe kindness. Stewart was famous for his gravitas, but those who worked with him talk about his generosity and warmth. Jackman’s words suggest that the friendship was as meaningful off screen as on it.
For many fans, the photo of the two men laughing together says it all. It’s a reminder that behind every great screen partnership is a real relationship.
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