David Warner, an actor best known for his roles in “The Omen,” “Titanic,” and “Tron,” has died from a cancer-related illness at the age of 80. Warner’s family has confirmed the news of his passing “with an overwhelmingly heavy heart,” and said this loss left them feeling “heartbroken.”
“Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity,” said a statement issued by his family.
“He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. We are heartbroken.”
The 80-year-old actor died on Sunday at Denville Hall, a care home for those who are in the entertainment industry. Condolences from his colleagues and fans have been posted on the internet since his death was announced.
As Warner himself described it, he had a “troubled” and “messy” childhood. He was born in Manchester, England, in 1941. He was sent to a number of boarding schools by his Russian-Jewish father. After graduation, he attended the renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Royal Shakespeare Company in London.
“For 60 years he was a well-respected stage, television, voice and film actor. His theater career with the RSC included an era-defining Hamlet, Henry VI in The Wars of The Roses in the 1960s and Falstaff in their 2008 Histories Cycle,” his family said.
Throughout Warner’s career, he often played villainous roles in films such as the science-fiction “Time After Time,” “The Thirty Nine Steps,” and Terry Gilliams’s “Time Bandits.” During the years Warner was in Hollywood, he most notably played in the “Titanic,” and also took on various characters in “Star Trek.”
