Patrick Stewart

Born: 13th July 1940
Where: Mirfield, England

Stewart has become a familiar face late in his career as Star Trek's Captain Jean-Luc Picard and X-Men stalwart Dr Charles Xavier.

A member of various local drama groups from about age 12, Patrick left school at 15 to work as junior reporter on a local paper.

However, he quit when the Editor told him he was spending too much time at the theatre and not enough time working.

In 1957, he was accepted by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, to begin a 27-year association, and made his Broadway debut in Peter Brook's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1971.

Work on television picked up soon afterwards with Patrick playing the villain on the BBC series, I, Claudius in 1976.

He received an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for Antony and Cleopatra in 1979.

Following a spell with the Royal National Theatre in the mid 80s, he went to Los Angeles where his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek series bought him great fame.

He has appeared in a number of high-profile blockbusters including Dune, Excalibur, LA Story, The Pagemaster and Doc Savage.

In addition to his work in theatre and film, Patrick has also been in demand as a voice-over artist for recordings, adverts and documentaries.

He has hosted or narrated the science series Space Age, the film history MGM: When the Lion Roars, and the study of Native Americans called 500 Nations.

He also lent his voice to the character of Napoleon the pig on the animated adaptation of the George Orwell classic Animal Farm in 1999.

In 1996 Patrick received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A playwright as well, Stewart has adapted several literary works for the radio and stage and has enjoyed particular success in Los Angeles and New York with his one-man version of A Christmas Carol, in which he played more than 30 roles.

In 2000, he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire. That same year he returned to Broadway as the star of The Ride Down Mt. Morgan and starred in the original X-Men.

Recently, he starred in Star Trek Nemesis, provided a voiceover for Jimmy Neutron and reprised his role as Charles Xavier in X-Men 2.

His next project was another voice-over apearance, in the German CGI-cartoon Boo, Zino And The Snurks.