Renowned Irish actor Ray Stevenson, best known among Indian cinema audiences for playing the antagonist in the global hit, RRR, passed away in Italy on Sunday. He was 58. The news has been confirmed by his publicist at Independent Talent, as reported by Deadline. No reason has been mentioned for the cause of the actor's death as details are still awaited, and further information has not been divulged at this time. The news of Stevenson's demise has come as a big shock to many in Hollywood and fans, with the RRR team, the production banner of the film, DVV Entertainment, and filmmaker S. S. Rajamouli expressing their shock and offering their condolences on Twitter.
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Sharing photos of Ray Stevenson, the official RRR and DVV Twitter accounts paid their tributes to the late actor, who portrayed the character Sir Scott in the 2022 epic action drama film, saying that he will remain in their memories forever. The tweets read, "What shocking news for all of us on the #RRRMovie team! 💔 Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. (sic) S. S. Rajamouli, who directed the late actor in his film, shared that the news was hard to take in, and said that collaborating with him was a big delight, while also posting an unseen picture of them both from the sets. He tweeted, "Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace. (sic)"
What shocking news for all of us on the team! 💔
— RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) May 22, 2023
Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson.
You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. pic.twitter.com/YRlB6iYLFi
What shocking news for all of us on the #RRRMovie team! 💔
— DVV Entertainment (@DVVMovies) May 22, 2023
Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson.
You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. pic.twitter.com/4tICIkWaaM
Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy.
— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) May 23, 2023
My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/HytFxHLyZD
RRR saw Ray Stevenson playing the prime antagonist Governor Scott Buxton alongside lead stars Jr. NTR and Ram Charan, followed by the supporting cast Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris, with the film going on to win an Academy Award in the 'Best Original Song' category earlier this year. The actor also has a large body of work outside of his role in RRR in films that included notable roles in Marvel Studios' Thor franchise as Volstagg, followed by Othere in the hit show Vikings, while also providing his voice for the Gar Saxon character in the animated Star Wars series, The Clone Wars and Rebels. Stevenson was also set to make appearances alongside Rosario Dawson in Disney's upcoming limited series, Ahsoka, which is scheduled to be released in August 2023.
Born on May 25, 1964, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Ray Stevenson began his journey in action in the early 1990s making appearances on various European TV series and telefilms. He made his film debut in 1998 in Paul Greengrass' The Theory of Flight alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh. Stevenson also featured in notable films like Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur (2004), Lexi Alexander's Punisher: War Zone (2008), the Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli (2010), and Adam McKay's The Other Guys (2010).
