Ian McKellen Leads a Singalong to Honor Patrick Stewart at London Gala

Sir Ian McKellen paid a surprise on-stage tribute to his late friend Sir Patrick Stewart at a London charity event, leading the audience in a song the two actors sang together in Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot. Metro reported that Stewart died on Oct. 28 at age 86 at his home in Los Angeles.

The moment, which Outlook India said has spread widely on social media, came days after McKellen shared a written tribute calling Stewart his best friend. The two actors will appear together one last time in the film Avengers: Doomsday, due in December.

What McKellen did on stage

Metro said McKellen spoke at a centenary fundraiser for Denville Hall. Outlook India identified the event as the Raise the Roof! gala at London's Victoria Palace Theatre, a benefit concert for the retirement home's £26 million Centenary Appeal. Denville Hall is a home for veteran performers, and according to Outlook, Stewart had long served as its ambassador.

According to both outlets, McKellen declined to use a microphone, which drew laughter from the crowd. He reminded the audience that he and Stewart, playing the two tramps in Waiting for Godot, had sung the music-hall number "Underneath the Arches" at the end of the show in London and on Broadway. Outlook India noted that Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen first made the song famous in 1932.

McKellen asked the audience to join in, saying, “let’s remember Pat Stewart, a great actor.” Metro reported that the crowd applauded before the singing began.

A friendship in dates

• 1974: McKellen joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, where Metro says the two actors met and became fast friends.
• 2000: Stewart began playing Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films, with McKellen as Magneto, according to Metro's account of the role.
• 2009: Waiting for Godot ran in the West End, with McKellen as Estragon and Stewart as Vladimir.
• 2013: Both actors reprised their roles when the production moved to the Cort Theatre on Broadway.
• Oct. 28: Stewart died at home. Outlook India reported that a spokesperson confirmed his death the next day and said he had been battling Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia.
• December: Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled for release, with Stewart in his final screen turn as Professor X.

What McKellen wrote about his friend

In a statement shared on his social media accounts, McKellen described Stewart as the “most respected and beloved actor of his generation,” according to Metro. Outlook India quoted him at greater length, saying Stewart was defined first by his Yorkshire roots. McKellen wrote that Stewart's accent and his blunt honesty reflected that upbringing, and that Yorkshiremen avoid half-truths and big issues. In McKellen's words, Stewart wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, admire and, in McKellen's case, love.

Metro also reported that McKellen recalled warning Stewart about taking a science-fiction role that would come to define his career with wider audiences. McKellen wrote that Stewart took the risk and that audiences were fortunate he did. He added that Stewart never forsook his origins, even after moving to Hollywood.

What this means for fans and for Denville Hall

For fans, Avengers: Doomsday will be the last chance to see Stewart's Professor X on screen, alongside McKellen's Magneto. The release is set for December.

For Denville Hall, the gala was part of a fundraising drive. Outlook India reported that the Centenary Appeal is seeking £26 million for the retirement home, where Stewart held his ambassador role. Neither outlet reported how much the evening raised.

A career beyond science fiction

Metro described Stewart's career as spanning more than six decades. It began at the Royal Shakespeare Company and made him one of Britain's most celebrated actors and a science-fiction icon known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek. Metro also reported, citing unnamed accounts, that his final days were spent surrounded by family and friends, with music, laughter and tears.

Around Prague, based on reporting by Metro.co.uk, Outlook India