Frakes: Stewart's Illness Was Known to Next Generation Cast
Jonathan Frakes told KTLA that Patrick Stewart had not been well, so his death was not a shock to his Star Trek: The Next Generation co-stars.
Jonathan Frakes said in an interview with KTLA that Patrick Stewart's illness was known to members of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast and did not come as a shock to them. Frakes said Stewart had not been well, according to remarks reported by screenrant.com.
Frakes said the Next Generation cast has been a family for 40 years and kept Stewart's condition private in accordance with his family's wishes.
He appeared on KTLA to support his advocacy for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCan).
Cast farewells
Stewart died on October 28, 2026, at 86, following Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, according to a statement from his family.
Stewart, Frakes and the rest of the Next Generation cast first met in 1987, and the group last worked together in Star Trek: Picard season 3, which ended in 2023. Marina Sirtis posted an emotional farewell to Stewart on Instagram, Gates McFadden wrote in Variety about his portrayal of Jean-Luc Picard, and LeVar Burton said Stewart was family.
Quick answers
What did Jonathan Frakes say about Patrick Stewart's illness?
In a KTLA interview, Frakes said Stewart had not been well and that his death was not a shock to some of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast, who kept his condition private at his family's request.
When did Patrick Stewart die?
Stewart died on October 28, 2026, at 86, following Alzheimer's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia, according to a statement from his family.