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Ray Stevenson, a renowned actor known for his appearances in “RRR” and the “Thor” films, passed away on Sunday at the age of 58, according to sources.
No further details regarding the cause of his death are currently available.
Gregory Raymond Stevenson was born in Northern Ireland and moved to England during his childhood. His most recent notable role was in the 2022 Oscar-winning movie “RRR,” where he portrayed the villainous character, Scott Buxton. The film received the Oscar for Best Original Song and emerged as the second highest-grossing film in India in 2022.
Stevenson was scheduled to feature in the upcoming Star Wars series “Ahsoka” as Baylan Skoll, starting from this August. He also attended the Star Wars Celebration event in 2023, where he expressed his enthusiasm for being a part of the project, stating, “Getting to wield the lightsaber is just the best feeling in the world.”
“Ahsoka” marks Stevenson’s third venture into the Star Wars universe, having previously voiced the character Gar Saxon in 2016’s “Star Wars: Rebels” and appeared in two episodes of “Star Wars: Clone Wars” in 2020.
Throughout his career, Stevenson amassed over 60 acting credits, spanning from the 1990s. However, his breakthrough role came in 2005 when he portrayed Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series “Rome,” set during the final days of the Roman Republic. The show also starred actor Kerry Condon, James Purefoy, and Kevin McKidd.
On Monday, Purefoy paid tribute to Stevenson on Twitter, expressing his sorrow and describing him as a brilliant, courageous, and larger-than-life actor who poured his heart into every role. Purefoy extended his condolences to Stevenson’s family, his wife Betta, and their beautiful children, emphasizing the tremendous loss.
Stevenson is widely recognized for his portrayal of Volstagg, a lively member of the Warriors Three, in Marvel’s “Thor” franchise. He appeared as Volstagg in the 2011 film “Thor” and reprised the role in “Thor: The Dark World” in 2013 and “Thor: Ragnarok” in 2017.
His early acting credits include appearances in TV series like “A Woman’s Guide to Adultery,” “The Dwelling Place,” and “Band of Gold,” where he featured in nine episodes. Additionally, he played the role of DI Tony Baynham in both seasons of “City Central” throughout the late ’90s.
During the 2000s, Stevenson continued to make guest appearances on various TV shows, including “The Walking Dead” and “At Home with Braithwaites.” He also ventured into films such as “Outpost” in 2008 and “Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant” in 2009.
In the 2010s, Stevenson took on significant roles in high-profile movies like the action comedy “The Other Guys” alongside Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg in 2010, Paul W.S. Anderson made a movie based on “The Three Musketeers” in 2011. He also directed “Divergent” and “The Book of Eli.”
