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Ian McKellen paid tribute to Patrick Stewart at a recent charity event
Legendary actor Ian McKellen paid an emotional tribute to his longtime friend and X-Men co-star Patrick Stewart, who died last week at the age of 86, by leading an audience in a rendition of a song the pair used to perform together on stage.
Ian McKellen, 87, made a surprise appearance at the Raise the Roof! charity gala at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre on Sunday, November 1, where he honored Patrick Stewart by singing “Underneath the Arches,” a song the two performed together during their productions of Waiting for Godot.
Ian McKellen leads touching singalong tribute to late friend Patrick Stewart at London charity event
During the event — which was raising money for Denville Hall, a retirement home for people who have worked in the entertainment industry — McKellen took the stage and explained the significance of the song to his decades-long friendship with Stewart.
“When we played the tramps in Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot,’ Pat Stewart and I sang that song — here in London and on Broadway — at the end of the show,” McKellen explained. “And we’re going to sing it now for you. I hope you’ll join in.”
Before beginning the performance alongside host Bradley Walsh and other performers, McKellen encouraged the audience to remember his late friend.
“As we sing it, let’s remember Pat Stewart, a great actor,” the iconic Gandalf and Magneto actor declared.
McKellen and Stewart first met through the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 1970s before becoming close friends and eventually co-starring as Magneto and Professor Charles Xavier, respectively, in the X-Men franchise.
The pair also shared the stage in productions of Waiting for Godot in London’s West End and on Broadway, where they would sing “Underneath the Arches” together at the end of performances. Their friendship extended well beyond their professional careers, with McKellen even officiating Stewart’s wedding to singer Sunny Ozell in 2013.
Stewart died on October 28 at his home in Los Angeles following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Following Stewart’s death, McKellen shared a heartfelt tribute on social media in which he described his longtime friend as a man he could rely on, admire, and love.
Stewart and McKellen will also be seen together on screen one final time in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 18.