‘X-Men’ Star Hugh Jackman Says Goodbye to Patrick Stewart in a Heartbreaking Instagram Tribute
Social media is full of tributes after a celebrity dies, but only a few feel like they were written by someone who truly lost a friend. Hugh Jackman’s message about Patrick Stewart reads that way. It’s short, personal and paired with a quiet photograph that says as much as the words do.
Stewart died on October 28 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 86, and his family announced the news on October 29. Within hours, Jackman had shared his own farewell, and the Hugh Jackman tribute to Patrick Stewart quickly became one of the most widely seen reactions.
On Instagram, Jackman posted a carousel that opens with a dim backstage photograph. The two men are seen in profile, one with a hand resting on the other’s shoulder, while a figure stands on the lit stage in the distance. It looks like a private moment caught between scenes, the kind of image friends take for themselves rather than for an audience.
In his caption, Jackman wrote that the world had lost one of the greats of stage and screen and that, in his book, Stewart was “a tremendous friend and man”. He said he learned so much from him and that he would miss him for the rest of his days. The post passed 500,000 likes within about an hour, with thousands of comments.
The friendship was built across the ‘X-Men’ films, from the original in 2000 through ‘Logan’ in 2017. Stewart once said the two had become such good friends over their 17 years of working together. At the ‘Logan’ premiere in Berlin, both men reportedly wept while watching the film for the first time.
Stewart said that sitting beside Jackman as he said goodbye to Wolverine convinced him there would never be a more perfect time to say goodbye to Xavier. He also said they were already discussing a new project to do together. That plan, it turns out, would come true in unexpected ways.
In 2026, the two were reunited in ‘The Sheep Detectives’, a mystery comedy directed by Kyle Balda and written by Craig Mazin. Jackman stars as George, a shepherd who reads detective novels to his flock, and Stewart is part of the voice ensemble that plays the sheep, alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Emma Thompson and others. The film arrived in theaters in May.
It was an unusual pairing for two actors known for superhero roles. It also meant their friendship continued on screen well after the characters they were known for had said goodbye.
Both actors had said ‘Logan’ would be their last turn in their roles, and both returned anyway. Stewart came back as a variant of Xavier in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ and will appear again in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, while Jackman returned as Wolverine in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’. After ‘Logan’ opened, Jackman publicly thanked Stewart for his performance and friendship and asked what they should do next.
That question now has a bittersweet answer. Marvel Studios has confirmed that ‘Doomsday’, which opens on December 18, will be Stewart’s final on-screen appearance.
Jackman wasn’t alone. William Shatner called Stewart a friend, a colleague and a magnificent actor, and Jonathan Frakes shared a message wishing him rest in peace. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige remembered being in awe the first time he saw Stewart on the set of the original ‘X-Men’, describing him as brilliant, charming and generous.
Marvel’s own statement called him a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman. Taken together, the messages share the same theme, which is how consistently warm Stewart was behind the scenes.
His family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America’s caregiver resources. They also highlighted his activism for human rights, refugees, veterans’ mental health and animal welfare.
For Jackman, the loss is both professional and personal. The photo he chose says it plainly, two friends sharing a quiet moment in the wings.
What is your favorite moment between Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, and what do you think their friendship says about the ‘X-Men’ films? Share your thoughts in the comments.
