Patrick Stewart's Devastating Regret: 'Star Trek' Actor Admitted He Had 'Non-Existent' Relationship With Kids as He 'Always Put Acting First'
During a 2023 interview, Patrick Stewart admitted that he could have been a better father to his two kids.
Oct. 30 2026, Published 7:25 p.m. ET
Patrick Stewart had one major regret ahead of his death, RadarOnline.com can report.
During a 2023 interview, the Star Trek icon revealed that he wished he'd been a better father, as he wasn't close to either of his kids. The actor shared two children with his ex-wife, Sheila Falconer.
Patrick Stewart on Fatherhood
Stewart wished he'd been a better father to his two kids.
"There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not pained by the memory of my 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,” he shared at the time.
Stewart continued, "I always put my acting work first, before my family.”
The icon was asked whether his portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation was based on the father he wished he had had.
'I'm Separated From My Children Now'
Patrick Stewart said he didn't have relationships with his children ahead of his passing.
"I think it might have been more the one I wished I was," he responded, also claiming it had been difficult to be the "kind of father he wanted to be" for his kids.
"Given that I'm separated from my children now, we don’t have relationships; they have become very important," Stewart explained.
“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," he confessed.
Patrick Stewart Was 'Obsessed' With His Work
The actor previously said that his children seemed to have forgiven him for their distant relationship.
This wasn't the only time Stewart opened up about his strained relationship with his kids, either.
In a 2009 interview, he described having been "obsessed" with his work while they were growing up, and said he was "trying to correct that" with his grandchildren.
"My own children seem to have forgiven me," he noted.
Patrick Stewart's Death
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Stewart passed away at the age of 86 on October 28, 2026.
Stewart passed away at the age of 86 on October 28, 2026, following a brief battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. His longtime publicist confirmed his death in a heartfelt statement.
"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," it read.
"We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace," the statement concluded.
