Renowned actor Ray Stevenson, known for his role as the villainous British governor in RRR, Volstagg in the Thor films, and a main antagonist in the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka, has died aged 58. Mr. Stevenson died on Sunday, May 21, his publicist confirmed to Variety.
No cause of death has been revealed but he was reportedly hospitalised during filming on the Italian island Ischia, as per BBC. His death was announced four days before his 59th birthday.
The official social media handle of RRR also confirmed the news and wrote, ''What shocking news for all of us on the team! Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT.''
See the tweet here:
Director SS Rajamouli also expressed his grief in a heartbreaking note and tweeted, ''Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace.''
The actor was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1964 and moved to England when he was eight years old. According to Variety, Mr Stevenson, began his career appearing on TV shows in the 1990s and then began landing action roles in Hollywood films. His first big-screen credit was opposite Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh in Paul Greengrass' 1998 drama The Theory of Flight.
He also had roles in notable films such as Antoine Fuqua's 'King Arthur', Lexi Alexander's 'Punisher: War Zone', the Hughes Brothers' 'The Book of Eli', and Adam McKay's 'The Other Guys'. He also did voice work in Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars, as Gar Saxon.
As per Guardian, Mr. Stevenson has three sons with the Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, who he met while working in Rome.
