Actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, who was famed for his starring roles in both Mad Max films, has died aged 73.
More recently, the Ango-Australian star was best known for his role as Immortan Joe in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
However, he also starred as Toecutter in the original 70s Mad Max film, appearing alongside Mel Gibson in the pioneering apocalyptic science fiction film.
Filmmaker Ted Geoghegan confirmed his passing, saying: “Hugh Keays-Byrne, an unsung hero of Aussie cinema, has passed away at age 73.
“I’m continually floored that he played Toecutter, the central antagonist of 1979’s MAD MAX *and* Immortan Joe, the central antagonist 2015’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.”
The actor Hugh Keays-Byrne has died at the age of 73, it has been confirmed (Image: Getty Images)
He finished: “Thanks for all the entertainment, sir.”
Keays-Byrne’s cause of death has yet to be confirmed.
Born in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which has since become part of India, Keays-Byrne moved to Australia in the early 70s.
Determined to pursue a career in theatrics, he landed roles in Royal Shakespeare Company productions such as As You Like It, The Balcony, Hamlet, and King Lear.
He played Toecutter in the original Mad Max film, which was a box office sensation in 1979 (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures.)
In 1979, Mad Max was a box-office success, with Keays-Byrne playing the leader of a vengeful motorcycle gang in the outback.
His character met a sorry fate at the hands of the film’s protagonist Mad Max, played by a young Gibson.
Later, he collaborated for a second time with the film’s director George Miller, appearing in Justice League: Mortal as the character of Martian Manhunter.
His final major screen role was in the revamped Mad Max: Fury Road, appearing opposite Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.
In the closing scenes of the film, Keays-Byrne’s character Immortan Joe is killed off, having inflicted terror on his minions in the dystopian desert wasteland.
Paying tribute to his conviction as a villain in the flick, he was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain that same year.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
