Sir Patrick Stewart: The name of the English actor, who died Wednesday at 86, was pretty much always synonymous with elegance and dignity. His stately baritone immediately lent gravitas to every character he played. There was a courtly polish, an Old English classicism, to not only his performances but his persona as an actor of the small screen, the big screen and the stage alike. But for all his refinement — or perhaps because of all his refinement — Stewart also developed a reputation for a loony, deadpan, often self-mocking sense of humor.

What’s the opposite of an august elder who’s been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II? A weird, dirty old man with some inappropriate kinks. That’s a type Stewart played a few times throughout his career.…