Sid Haig, the American actor who starred as the murderous clown Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's films including House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects, has died aged 80.
The news was shared by Haig's wife Suzie on his Instagram page. The cause of his death was not confirmed, but it was reported that Haig was taken to hospital last week after suffering breathing complications following a fall.
"On Saturday 21 September 2019, my light, my heart, my true love, my King, the other half of my soul, Sidney, passed on from this realm to the next," her statement read.
"He has returned to the Universe, a shining star in her heavens. He was my angel, my husband, my best friend and always will be. He adored his family, his friends and his fans. This came as a shock to all of us."
She continued: "We, as a family, are asking that our privacy and time to mourn be respected.
"Goodnight, my love. We will find each other again, next time. I love you."
While he was most closely associated with director Rob Zombie as the terrifying villain Captain Spaulding, Haig began his career in Jack Hill's The Host, going onto star in more than 50 films and hundreds of television episodes over a 40-year career.
He retired in 1992 due to his belief that he was being typecast, training instead as a hypnotherapist. He returned to acting with his role as Captain Spaulding in musician and filmmaker Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, which was widely believed to have revived his acting career.
His final Rob Zombie film, 3 From Hell, was released this month to select cinemas.
