Actor David Warner, villain in ‘Tron’ and ‘Titanic,’ dies at 80

LONDON — British actor David Warner, known for his portrayal of villains in movies like “The Omen,” “Tron,” and “Titanic,” has died at age 80.

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The veteran actor, who took on roles ranging from Shakespeare to sci-fi, died of a cancer-related illness Sunday at a retirement home for entertainers in London, The Associated Press reported.

In a statement to the BBC, Warner’s family said, “Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity. 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.”

Warner’s career spanned more than 50 years, and included roles in the 1976 horror classic “The Omen,” the 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” and 2018′s “Mary Poppins Returns,” The Associated Press reported.

“I’ve done war pictures, I’ve done Westerns, I’ve done sci-fi. … I mean, I wasn’t in ‘Harry Potter,’ and I wasn’t in ‘Lord of the Rings,’ and I haven’t been in ‘Game of Thrones,’ Warner told the AV Club in a 2017 interview. “So there are big ones that I haven’t managed to do. But that’s show biz … and, you know, I think I’ve still done OK.”

Warner studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and starred in several productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company before appearing in the 1986 movie “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, CNN reported.

Gregory Doran, artistic director emeritus of the RSC, referenced Warner’s portrayal of Hamlet in 1965 in a statement to BBC: “A tortured student, in his long orange scarf, David seemed the epitome of 1960s youth, and caught the radical spirit of a turbulent age. He was a generous spirit, a kind man, and a huge talent.”

1982′s “Tron” featured Warner as villain Dillinger, one of a string of movies where Warner served as the film’s antagonist, Variety reported.

Warner was nominated for a British Academy Film Award for his title role in “Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment” in 1966, and won an Emmy for his work as Pomponius Falco in the 1981 TV miniseries “Masada,” USA Today reported.

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