Ray Stevenson, ‘Thor,’ ‘Star Wars’ and ‘RRR’ Actor Passes Away at 58

Irish actor Ray Stevenson best known for his performances in movies such as The Three Musketeers, RRR, King Arthur, and Kill the Irishman has died. He passed away at the age of 58.

The Star Wars actor took his last breaths on May 21, 2023, Sunday in Lacco Ameno, Italy. Keep scrolling further to find out the cause behind the talented actor Ray Stevenson and learn more about his acting career.

What was the cause behind the death of Ray Stevenson?

Ray Stevenson is no longer with us. The Punisher: War Zone star passed away at the age of 58 on May 21, 2023, Sunday in Italy. He will be seen in the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka.

His publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Hollywood Reporter that the brilliant actor died just four days before his 59th birthday. It has been reported by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica that he had been hospitalized on the island of Ischia while in production on the film Cassino on Ischia. The movie is being helmed by Frank Ciota.

As of this moment, the actual cause behind Stevenson’s demise is unknown. Throughout his acting career, he entertained his fans on both the big screen as well as the small screen.

Here’s all you need to know about Ray Stevenson (including his early life, acting career, and more)

Ray Stevenson was an actor who was born on May 25, 1964, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. His full name was George Raymond Stevenson. He had two brothers. His father was a Royal Air Force pilot. Not much is known about his Irish mother.

Stevenson and his family shifted to England when he was only 8 years old. At first, they settled in the Lemington area of Newcastle upon Tyne and then, later in Seaton Delaval. Back in the day, he went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

When did Ray Stevenson start acting?

Ray Stevenson kicked off his acting career by starring in TV shows in the 1990s. He began bagging action roles in Hollywood films in the 2000s. His first big role came in Antoine Fuqua’s 2004’s adventure movie King Arthur. He played the role of Dagonet, one of the Knights of the Round Table in the film.

In the year 2008, the 6-foot-3 actor was cast to essay the character of the titular mercenary, aka Frank Castle in the Marvel movie Punisher: War Zone. Later on, his character was reintroduced in the Netflix series “Daredevil.” He was the third actor to play the role of Punisher on screen.

In the 2010s, Stevenson appeared in movies like “The Book of Eli,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “The Three Musketeers,” and “Thor.” He was present in the first three Thor films, where he played the role of Asgardian hero Volstagg. In the Divergent series, he was seen as Marcus Eaton, the city council leader of the Abnegation faction and father of Four (Theo James).

Not long, he also appeared in the Oscar-nominated Tollywood blockbuster RRR. He played the role of evil Governor Scott Buxton in the film which received good feedback from the critics as well as fans.

Ray Stevenson starred in many TV shows and films

Ray’s film credits include Kill the Irishman (2011), Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers (2011), Jayne Mansfield’s Car (2012), Big Game (2014), The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016), Final Score (2018), RRR (2022) and Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday (2022).

On the other hand, when we talk about television, the Marvel star played the role of Titus Pullo in the HBO historical drama “Rome” from 2005 to 2007. The show managed to win 7 Emmys during its two seasons.

In addition to this, Stevenson also appeared in TV shows like The Tide of Life, At Home with the Braithwaites, Walking The Dead, Dexter, Crossing Lines, Saints & Strangers, Black Sails, Reef Break, Vikings, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Das Boot.

Stevenson will be appearing in this summer’s Disney+ “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka” as a Jedi named Baylan Skoll, who turns to the dark side and is an ally to the diabolic Grand Admiral Thrawn.

In the past, Ray lend his voice to the character of Gar Saxon in “Star Wars Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” His posthumous credits will include the movies “Cassino in Ischia,” and “1242: Gateway to the West.”

Stars pay heartfelt tributes to Ray Stevenson on social media

English actor James Purefoy expressed his grief by writing, “So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.”

So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.

— James Purefoy 🇺🇦 (@JamesPurefoy) May 22, 2023

Rosario Dawson who will star in the Ahsoka series alongside Ray took to her Instagram page and wrote, “A giant of a man… @officialraystevenson_ , stunned and reeling from this tragic, devastating news. Gone too soon from this world.”

The creative force behind the blockbuster film RRR, SS Rajamouli mourned the loss of Ray on Twitter by sharing a picture of himself and Stevenson from the sets of the movie. He wrote, “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.”

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. pic.twitter.com/HytFxHLyZD

— rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) May 23, 2023

Our love and prayers go out to the close friends and the entire family of Ray Stevenson during this tragic time. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.