Patrick Stewart was open about his regrets as a father of two before his death. Following his passing, his eldest, Daniel, shared a bittersweet photo, offering a glimpse into what the patriarch previously called their "practically nonexistent" relationship.
© GettyFollowing news of the “Star Trek” star's death at 86, Daniel took fans back in time. The 59-year-old shared a photo of them sharing the stage, with his father on his back. As noted by Page Six, the image seems to be from 2001, when they starred in Johnson Over Jordan at Leeds Playhouse.
Patrick welcomed Daniel and his sister Sophia with his first wife, Sheila Falconer. The couple tied the knot in 1966, and Daniel was born the following year. He actually just celebrated his birthday on October 20. They were married for 24 years, with the couple divorcing in 1990.
The X-Men star reflected on becoming a first-time father in an interview with PEOPLE in 2022, saying, "I loved Daniel when he was little, and when he was a baby, I loved holding him."
© Jeff KravitzSophia was born in 1972. "When my daughter was born, I was very much a caretaker because her mother was a wonderful dancer and appeared in musicals," he said in the same interview.
Over the years, Patrick and Daniel were photographed at events, later sharing the stage in 2015. But it doesn't seem like they were ever particularly close. In a 2023 interview with the Irish Independent, the actor spoke candidly about how his dedication to his career affected his children, saying, “Given that I’m separated from my children now — we don’t have relationships — they have become very important."
He expressed regret, saying, "I never thought that this would happen, but both my children are in their 50s; they’re not children anymore, they’re adults. And my relationship with them is practically non-existent."
© Sylvain GabouryThe actor said there wasn't a day that went by that he wasn't "pained by the memory" of his children "who they were and by a sense of responsibility that they became who they are in part because of me and my influence or lack of influence on them."
Patrick also admitted that he had not been the kind of father he wanted to be, revealing just how distant their relationship had become as his children grew older.
It was a regret Patrick had discussed years earlier. During a 2009 interview with The Independent, he explained, “I was just obsessed with my work and everything else took second place. He said he was "trying to correct" that now whenever possible with his grandchildren, adding, "And my own children seem to have forgiven me."
© GettyBoth Daniel and Sophie have two children of their own. Daniel co-hosts The Foxhole Companion podcast, which focuses on a chronological history of World War II through the lens of film and cinema, according to Spotify.
Sophia has lived a much more private life. While she was photographed with him a few times over the years, it seemed to have stopped around 2009.
Patrick's death was announced by his family on October 29, one day after he died at his Los Angeles home following a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 86.
In a statement, his loved ones shared that he spent his final moments surrounded by family and friends, with music, prayer, tears, and laughter.
© Getty“He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all,” the statement read.
“We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
Patrick was also survived by his wife, singer Sunny Ozell, whom he married in 2013. Before their marriage, he was briefly married to Wendy Neuss from 2000 to 2003.
