Patrick Stewart told stories of famous friends at Hamptons film fest

Patrick Stewart entertained millions on TV as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” on the silver screen as Professor X in the "X-Men" franchise and onstage doing everything from Shakespeare to Scrooge. And on Long Island, he kept an audience entranced when he attended the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2017.

The legendary actor, who died Wednesday at age 86 in Los Angeles, spoke to a crowd at the East Hampton Middle School auditorium, one of the festival's locations, where he shared stories about working with stars like Ian McKellen, Ben Kingsley and Vivien Leigh. He also talked about how acting became a refuge from the abusive household in the working-class town in northern England where he grew up.

“I never had stage fright,” Stewart said. “The moment I stepped onto the platform, I knew who I was and what I had to do. It was when it was over that life got difficult again.” Stewart was about 12 when he joined a local amateur drama group, and he later won a scholarship to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

The Hamptons interview was conducted by Variety executive editor Steven Gaydos, who was also there to present Stewart with the trade publication's Creative Impact in Acting Award. Stewart later posed for photos with Oscar winner Julie Andrews, who was also being honored, and with festival co-chair Alec Baldwin, who grew up in Amityville and Massapequa.

During that time of hanging in the Hamptons, the actor was spotted dining at The 1770 House in East Hampton, along with his wife, singer Sunny Ozell, and his representative.

While the Hamptons appearance may have been Stewart's sole physical appearance at a Long Island venue, his presence was also felt at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale. Stewart's deep and mellifluous voice can be heard in the narration for the 2015 film "Journey to Space" about NASA, including the birth and development of the Space Shuttle program, that has become a staple at the venue.