Stewart’s iconic “Star Trek” character inspired astronomers and astronauts in countless ways: “You were the captain of my childhood,” one astrophysicist said.

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The actor used his booming voice and Shakespearean pedigree in the service of absurd (and often lewd) comedy.

The motley mix of roles that won the British actor acclaim includes a Shakespearean hero, a “Star Trek” captain and an “X-Men” mutant.

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Led by the Shakespearean veteran in his role as Jean-Luc Picard, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” gracefully went where the franchise had never gone before.

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