On July 1, 2026, Mad Cave Studios released the first issue of The Last Starfighter comic book series, a direct continuation of the classic 1984 sci-fi film (76% on Rotten Tomatoes) starring Catherine Mary Stewart. Issue #2 and #3 were released in August and September, and we still have #4 and #5 (due November 4 and December 2) to look forward to. Maggie herself is back in the story too, with a mission of her own, according to one review. Mad Cave is also releasing a 40-page one-shot, The Last Starfighter: Beta, on October 21.
Stewart, alongside co-star Lance Guest, have been promoting the new series through meet-and-greets and social media campaigns.
But that’s not the only headline the 67-year-old actress has been in lately. Stewart is currently co-directing the indie horror feature Loose Ends: Victim No More – Part II, which is slated for an early 2027 release.
So, it seems as though Catherine Mary Stewart has been as busy as ever. But how did she land her career-defining role as Maggie Gordon? And what else has she been up to lately?
Catherine Mary Stewart’s Early Life: How She Broke Into Acting
Born Catherine Mary Nursall in Edmonton, Alberta, Stewart started out with ballet at age seven before moving to jazz dance lessons.
After high school, she moved to London to study dance, acting and singing, and landed the lead role of Bibi in the 1980 rock musical The Apple.
In her early 20s, Stewart moved to Los Angeles, where she was cast as Kayla Brady on Days of Our Lives in 1982 — appearing in a whopping 150 episodes.
How Catherine Mary Stewart Landed Maggie Gordon in The Last Starfighter
During the time Stewart was acting on Days of Our Lives, she was still auditioning for other projects. She won her iconic role as Maggie in The Last Starfighter through a traditional audition process, where she ended up reading with Lance Guest (who plays protagonist Alex Rogan).
In a callback, the pair were asked to improvise a ‘boyfriend-girlfriend’ scene, where they lay on the ground and spoke about the stars. In an interview with Last Movie Outpost, Stewart said she believed that the directors and producers were drawn to their natural innocence.
While she didn’t win any awards, Stewart is often praised for the sincerity and depth she gave the character Maggie Gordon.
Catherine Mary Stewart Movies: Night of the Comet, Weekend at Bernie’s and Other Fan Favorites
The Last Starfighter set Stewart up for cult classic queendom, with some of her other standout roles including:
- Night of the Comet (1984)
- Dudes (1987)
- World Gone Wild (1988)
- Weekend at Bernie’s (1989)
Catherine Mary Stewart in the ’90s: Family Life and a Shift to TV Movies
The ‘90s brought a different energy for Stewart, who stepped back from the intensity of Hollywood to focus on her personal life. In 1992, she married film producer Richard Allerton. They welcomed their daughter, Hanna, in 1993, and their son, Connor, in 1996.
During this time, she still took on plenty of TV movies and series roles, including the Aaron Spelling-produced series Hearts Are Wild (1992). She also co-starred in the television adaptation of The Sea Wolf (1993), the survival film Ordeal in the Arctic (1993), and guest-starred on The Outer Limits (1996).
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Catherine Mary Stewart in Her 40s and 50s: Direct-to-Video Roles, a Video Game and a Directing Debut
Stewart spent these years trying a little bit of everything. She appeared in direct-to-video titles like The Attic (2007) and A Christmas Snow (2010), voiced a character named Moira in Red Dead Redemption II, and played Catherine Blades in the 2016 drama Cheerleader.
2016 was also the year she made her directorial debut with the short film A Walk to Remember.
What Is Catherine Mary Stewart Doing Now in 2026?
At 67, Stewart has been married to her husband Richard Allerton for over 30 years, and their grown-up children are both in their 30s. In her Instagram bio, she describes herself as an “Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, Photographer”… and it’s a pretty fitting description.
Lately, Stewart has kept herself busy with promoting the new The Last Starfighter comic book series. This is topped with a mix of directing and acting.
We’ve already mentioned Loose Ends: Victim No More – Part II, but she directed a one-woman show, Sasha Graham’s Ghost Stories and Tarot, which played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
When it comes to acting, she has a few upcoming roles including Martha West in Heading East and Evelyn in the TV series Heavy Hitters. Stewart isn’t the only ’80s cult favorite heading back to horror, either, as Sybil Danning is back in a new Halloween horror movie too.
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Where to watch: The Last Starfighter (1984) isn’t streaming free in the US right now, but it can be rented or bought digitally on Amazon, Apple TV and Fandango at Home, according to JustWatch.
The Last Starfighter |
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High schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was more than just a game, it was a test, so he is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best starfighters. |
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| Studio: Lorimar Productions, Universal Pictures |
| Running Time: 101 minutes |
| Release Date: July 13, 1984 |
| Cast: Lance Guest, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston |
| Director: Nick Castle |
| Writers: Jonathan R. Betuel |
| Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| Box Office: $28.7 million |
