James McAvoy remembers 'X-Men' co-star Patrick Stewart after his death: 'He was always lovely to me'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: James McAvoy has paid tribute to his 'X-Men' co-star Patrick Stewart following the legendary actor’s death on Wednesday, October 28, remembering him as a kind colleague he had admired long before they worked together.
McAvoy, who played a younger version of Professor Charles Xavier in the 'X-Men' franchise, shared a heartfelt message talking about their time together. The 47-year-old said he was lucky to share screen space with the British actor.
James McAvoy remembers working with Patrick Stewart
Along with his touching message on Instagram, McAvoy shared several throwback pictures with Stewart from their time working together on the 'X-Men' films. The photos offered a glimpse of their bond on set as McAvoy remembered the kindness Stewart showed him whenever they crossed paths.
“Wherever you’re going I know you’ll go boldly... I was lucky enough to work with Sir Patrick a number of times and he was always lovely to me. First as a fan and then as a colleague I count myself lucky to have gone with you for a short time,” he wrote.
McAvoy's use of the words “go boldly” seemed like a nod to the famous 'Star Trek' tagline, “To boldly go where no man has gone before.” Stewart was associated with the franchise for his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.
James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart played different versions of Professor X
The two actors shared a connection through the 'X-Men' franchise, where they portrayed different versions of Professor Charles Xavier. Stewart first played the character in the 2000 film 'X-Men', while McAvoy took on the younger version in 'X-Men: First Class' in 2011.
They later appeared together in 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (2014), which brought their versions of Professor X together on screen. Stewart also reprised the role in films including 'Logan' (2017).
Their connection also inspired McAvoy to explore another role associated with Stewart. Speaking on Josh Horowitz's podcast 'Happy Sad Confused', McAvoy revealed that he once pitched an idea for a series about a young Jean-Luc Picard to the 'Star Trek' team.
McAvoy said the project nearly moved forward, explaining that he had a story in mind about Picard's early years.
“That was a whole idea I had. I pitched to the Star Trek people as well, and we nearly did it. I’ve got a whole story about an early Picard. All I really want to do in my career is play young versions of Patrick Stewart,” he shared.
