Ray Stevenson passes away: 'RRR', 'Thor' and 'Star Wars' teams pay tribute to late actor

Ray Stevenson, the Irish actor who played the villainous British governor in "RRR," the Asgardian warrior Volstagg in Marvel's "Thor", Baylan Skoll in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series and a member of the 13th Legion in HBO's "Rome," passed away at age 58.
Representatives for Stevenson confirmed that the actor passed away on Sunday but refrained from revealing details of his demise.
Stevenson was born in Lisburn in 1964. After attending the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and years of working in British television, he made his film debut in Paul Greengrass's 1998 film "The Theory of Flight." In 2004, he appeared in Antoine Fuqua's "King Arthur" as a knight of the round table and several years later played the lead in the pre-Disney Marvel adaptation "Punisher: War Zone."

Though "Punisher" was not the best-reviewed film, he'd get another taste of Marvel in the first three "Thor" films, in which he played Volstagg. Other prominent film roles included the "Divergent" trilogy, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "The Transporter: Refueled."
Shortly after news broke of his untimely demise, filmmakers and former co-stars from RRR, Thor and the Ahsoka series took to social media to remember the actor and offer their condolences to his grieving family.

The official handle of RRR posted, "He was 56 years old when we were shooting this difficult scene but he did not hesitate while performing this stunt. We will forever cherish having you on the sets of #RRR, Ray Stevenson. Gone too soon."


Jr NTR, on the other hand wrote, "Shocked to hear about Ray Stevenson's passing. Gone too soon. It was a great experience working with him. May his soul rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and dear ones during this difficult time."

The official Marvel handle posted a photo of Ray in character as Volstagg and wrote, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humour and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones."

His 'Star Wars' family Rosario Dawson and Ivanna Sakhno also took to social media to share some happy BTS pics with the late actor and pen notes of love and remembrance.
Ivanna wrote, "Ray. . .My heart is shattered and I can’t fathom you not being here. A giant with an even bigger heart. You understood the infinite. Your love for life, your partner Elisabetta and your 3 boys was unyielding. Knowing you in this lifetime had been one of the greatest gifts. I carry your light within me. Fly freely, Blackbird."

Dawson also penned a heartfelt note that read, "Sharing in grief with you all. What a Ray of light. Been calling cast/crew & the rest of my family to say how much I love them. Let this be your reminder to love on your people’s in real time while You can. Ray was so vivacious & unbelievably present & vibrant. He truly lived!!!"

A looming presence at 6-foot-4, Stevenson, who played his share of soldiers past and present, once said in an interview, "I guess I'm an old warrior at heart."
On the small screen, he was the roguish Titus Pullo in "Rome," a role that really got his career going in the United States and got him a SAG card, at the age of 44. The popular series ran from 2005 to 2007.
He was Blackbeard in the Starz series "Black Sails," Commander Jack Swinburne in the German television series "Das Boot," and Othere on "Vikings."
Stevenson also did voice work in "Star Wars Rebels" and "The Clone Wars," as Gar Saxon, and has a role in the upcoming Star Wars live-action series "Ahsoka," in which he plays a bad guy, Baylan Skoll. The eight-episode season is expected to release in August.
Stevenson has three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, who he met while working on "Rome."