Former Emmerdale actor Gemma Oaten has paid tribute to her “mentor” Sir Patrick Stewart, describing him as a “kind and wonderful man”.
Sir Patrick died on Wednesday aged 86 at his Los Angeles home after “a brief and poignant journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia.
Hull-born Oaten, who appeared in the British soap as Rachel Breckle between 2011 and 2015, wrote to the Star Trek star while at drama school in 2008 and the pair met on numerous occasions over the years, including backstage chats during Sir Patrick’s many theatre performances.
An emotional Oaten told BBC Radio Humberside she was “trying to process” his death.
“It’s really hard because he was such a massive part of my life,” she said.
She added that their friendship “really got me through so much”.
“He became a mentor for me, he gave me advice.
“He was always there for me and he was always willing to give and I just know him as Patrick the kind and wonderful man.”
Yorkshire-born Sir Patrick was a renowned classical theatre actor as well as finding international fame as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.