Patrick Stewart‘s “Star Trek” costar Marina Sirtis had a heartbroken reaction to his October 28 death from Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia. She took to Instagram the day after the news broke to tell fans, “I should have posted last night, but I couldn’t speak.”
In tears and wearing no makeup, she continued, “He’s gone.” She called Stewart “my friend” and “my captain” before referencing their mutual love of soccer by also calling him “my fellow football fan.” Stewart loved Huddersfield Football while Sirtis is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur.
The actress, who played Counselor Deanna Troi on the show, took a few shaky breaths before exclaiming, “It’s too much! It’s just too much.”
She then referenced the October 25 death of Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in “Star Trek: The Original Series.” She said, “Walter was bad enough. But now, Patrick’s gone. I really can’t imagine a world without him in it.”
Sirtis then addressed Patrick’s wife, 47-year-old jazz and blue singer Sunny Ozell, and Patrick’s two children. “Sunny, Sophie, Daniel. I am so sorry for your loss.”
Marina Sirtis Calls Working With Patrick Stewart ‘The Honor of My Life’
Her mind then seemed to shift back to her own grief as she cried, “I don’t know how I’m gonna get over this. Patrick, I loved you with all my heart. I know you’re up there now, reunited with all those that you’ve loved. But to say that you’ll be missed down here is probably the understatement of the century.”
The London native then declared, “It was an honor to work with Patrick. Actually, it was more than an honor. It was the privilege of my life to work with him.”
She then indicated she needed to close the video, as her emotions had gotten the best of her. “Okay, that’s it. I can’t do it anymore,” she said, before acknowledging “millions of you are just as devastated as I am.” Sirtis then tried to comfort Patrick’s fans by reminding them, “We can always turn on the television and see this consummate actor and professional doing what he did best.” She finished the message with, “God bless, everyone.”
Stewart’s death at 86 was announced on his official Instagram page. The post revealed the “X-Men” star died at his Los Angeles with Sunny by his side. The memorial highlighted his multi-genre talent and long-spanning entertainment career before touching on his philanthropic efforts. Animal welfare, global refugees, and domestic violence survivors were on the list of the many causes and groups he supported.
Marina Sirtis’ Showed Underappreciated Acting Prowess on ‘Star Trek’
Due to genre bias that was prevalent in the era and other factors at play, no actor on the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” ever received an Emmy nomination, in spite of the cast’s widely lauded performances.
One fan explained in a Reddit thread, “The various award groups have very little respect for Science Fiction now and it was even worse back in the late 80s and 90s.”
Sirtis’ talent in particular becomes particularly impressive after watching her speak as “herself” in panels and interviews. In real life, her boisterous personality and rough-and-tumble ways are miles from the professional, composed, and sweet demeanor she exudes on the show as Counselor Troi.
Marina Sirtis Breaks Down Over the Loss of Patrick Stewart: ‘It’s Too Much’