Irish actor Ray Stevenson – who featured in movies and TV shows including Thor, Vikings and the upcoming Star Wars: Ahsoka – has passed away aged 58.
Variety confirmed reports from Italian newspaper La Repubblica that Stevenson died on Sunday in Italy, where he was apparently in production on his next film, Cassino in Ischia. Deadline broke news of the movie only a week ago, which was due to star Stevenson as a washed-up action hero. No cause of death has been given at the time of writing.
One of Stevenson’s latest projects was RRR, an epic Indian action drama movie directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who tweeted: “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.”
Star Wars: Ahsoka showrunner Dave Filoni has also paid tribute to Stevenson, who will feature as lightsaber-wielding villain Baylan Skoll in the upcoming Disney+ series. “We have lost a great talent and friend in Ray Stevenson," Filoni said.
"His kindness and generosity were felt by our entire team on Ahsoka. I always looked forward to working with Ray, and I appreciated his insight and daily wisdom. I am glad that his memory will live on through his family, friends, and the many characters he created. Thank you Ray, for everything."
Stevenson was born in Northern Ireland on May 25, 1964, and started his career with minor roles in TV shows including Band of Gold and Holby City in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. His first major movie role was in 2004’s King Arthur, but he really took off in the US thanks to HBO series Rome, which ran from 2005 to 2007. He soon began landing roles in major Hollywood films such as Punisher: War Zone, The Book of Eli, the first three Thor movies and The Three Musketeers.
The actor also portrayed Blackbeard in the Starz TV series Black Sails, Othere in Vikings, and voiced Gar Saxon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. His posthumous credits will include Ahsoka and 1242: Gateway to the West.
Featured image: Mingle Media TV, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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