Irish actor Ray Stevenson has died aged 58 while shooting a new film in Italy.
Stevenson, who was born in Lisburn in Co Antrim, is best known for starring in big productions such as Marvel's Thor franchise, Punisher: War Zone, and HBO's critically-acclaimed drama Rome. He is also set to appear in the upcoming Star Wars TV series, Ahsoka.
The actor's publicist confirmed Stevenson's death to Variety and said he passed away on Sunday, although the cause of death has not been disclosed. Italian media outlet La Repubblica report that Stevenson died at Rizzoli Hospital on the Italian island of Ischia, where he had been filming a new movie titled Cassino in Ischia. The outlet reports that the actor was hospitalised on Saturday after falling ill.
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Tributes have been paid to the film star, with Stevenson's Rome co-star James Purefoy writing in a post on social media: "So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss."
British actor Scott Adkins, who starred alongside Stevenson in the 2018 action thriller Accident Man, also paid tribute to the revered actor. He wrote on Twitter: "I’m shocked and saddened by the tragic news that a great actor and my good friend Ray Stevenson has passed away. I will miss you Big Ray! Life is short so make the most of it people."
Stevenson was born in Lisburn in 1964. His father was a pilot in the Royal Air Force and his mother is Irish. He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, settling in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. The actor later admitted in front of the Belfast Telegraph that he used to be bullied regularly in school.
He took up acting at the age of 25 and was a graduate of Bristol’s Old Vic Theatre School. He began his career appearing on TV shows in the 1990s before he landed his first major film role in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004’s adventure movie King Arthur, where he played Dagonet, one of the Knights of the Round Table.
In 2008, Stevenson took on the leading role of Frank Castle in the Marvel film, Punisher: War Zone, while he would work with Marvel yet again a few years later, playing Volstagg in the Thor franchise. Stevenson also appeared in the Will Ferrell comedy The Other Guys, while he starred as real-life mob figure Danny Green in 2011's Kill the Irishman.
His most notable TV roles including playing Titus Pullo in all 22 episodes of HBO and BBC’s Rome, while he also nabbed guest-starring roles and reoccurring appearances in the likes of Dexter, The Walking Dead, Black Sails, various “Star Wars” animated shows and Vikings. He will also appear in this summer’s Disney+ Star Wars series Ahsoka.
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