Sir Patrick Stewart, the Star Trek actor, has died at the age of 86. In one of his final interviews, he spoke openly about his distress over his "non-existent" relationship with his two children, Daniel and Sophie, admitting that he thought about them daily.
A Public Reflection on Family
The actor, who shared his children with his first wife, Sheila Falconer, said he felt "significant grief" over being "separated" from them. He described the relationship in stark terms: "Given that I'm separated from my children now – we don't have relationships – they have become very important."
He continued: "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."
Taking Responsibility
Stewart added that "not a day goes by" that he isn't "not pained by the memory of my children" and took responsibility for the estrangement. He blamed his lack of consistent parenting when they were growing up as part of the problem.
In a 2023 interview with the Irish Independent, he explained: "I always put my acting work first, before my family." In an earlier 2009 interview with the Independent, he said he "could have done better as a parent" but "threw everything into work".
Later Life and Marriages
Despite the difficulties, Stewart said he had tried to "correct it" with his grandchildren and believed Sophie and Daniel had forgiven him. He was pictured with his son Daniel, also an actor, at a red carpet event in 2015.
His first marriage to Sheila Falconer lasted for 24 years and ended in 1990. In 2000, he married Wendy Neuss, a producer on Star Trek: The Next Generation, though their union ended in divorce three years later. He married American singer and songwriter Sunny Ozell in 2013.
