British stage, television and film star Ray Stevenson has died at 58.
Stevenson's publicist Nicki Fioravante said the actor died on Sunday after being hospitalized on the Italian island of Ischia, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He was on the island filming Frank Ciota's action movie Cassino on Ischia. His cause of death has not been made public.
Stevenson's death came a few days shy of his birthday on Thursday. He was born on May 25, 1964, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Stevenson had been involved in many film franchises and television series throughout his 30-year career. His breakthrough role came in 2005 when he played roughneck gladiator Titus Pullo on the HBO series Rome.
At 6-foot-3, Stevenson often found himself playing imposing figures, including two roles in Marvel movies. First, Stevenson took a turn as Frank Castle in 2008's Punisher: War Zone. Just three years later he would suit up in Thor, playing Volstagg, one of the titular character's merry band of warriors. He reprised the role in two more Thor movies.
In 2022, Stevenson traded in his role as a hero for one as a villain in the surprise Indian Telugu-language hit RRR. The more-than three hour action epic gained broad appeal during a long streaming run on Netflix. Stevenson played Scott Buxton, the vile governor of a brutal regime in the fictitious 1920s tale.
Stevenson is set to make his first live-action appearance in the Star Wars universe later this year. He is set to play the villainous force-wielding Baylan Skoll in the Disney+ series Ahsoka. The series premieres in August.