Actor Ray Stevenson, famous for his roles in "RRR" and "Thor," dies at the age of 58.

Actor Ray Stevenson, known for his roles in "Punisher: War Zone," "RRR," and "Thor" films, passes away at 58.

Image Credit: NBC News

On Sunday in Italy, Ray Stevenson, the Irish actor renowned for his roles in movies such as "Punisher: War Zone," "King Arthur," the "Thor" films, as well as television shows like HBO's "Rome" and the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, passed away.

Ray Stevenson, who was born in Northern Ireland on May 25, 1964, initiated his acting career by appearing in television shows during the 1990s. He later transitioned into securing action-oriented roles in Hollywood films, primarily from the 2000s onwards.

One of his significant early film performances was in Antoine Fuqua's 2004 adventure movie "King Arthur," in which he portrayed Dagonet, a member of the Knights of the Round Table. In the film, his character bravely sacrifices himself in battle to aid Arthur (Clive Owen) and his fellowship of warriors.

In 2008, Ray Stevenson achieved a leading role in the Marvel film "Punisher: War Zone," portraying the eponymous mercenary, also known as Frank Castle. Lionsgate distributed the film in North America before Disney acquired the rights to the Marvel universe.

The Punisher character was later reintroduced in the Netflix series "Daredevil." Stevenson became the third actor to portray the Punisher on screen, following Dolph Lundgren in a direct-to-video release in 1989 and Thomas Jane in the R-rated "Punisher" film of 2004. "War Zone" served as a PG-13 reboot of the series but underperformed at the box office, earning $10.1 million from a $35 million budget. Jon Bernthal later took on the Punisher role in Netflix's "Daredevil" and "The Punisher" shows.

During the 2010s, Stevenson appeared in various action movies such as "The Book of Eli," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," "The Three Musketeers," and franchises like Marvel's "Thor" and Lionsgate's adaptation of "Divergent." In his second Marvel outing, Stevenson portrayed the Asgardian hero Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three who were allies to Chris Hemsworth's Thor.

He appeared in the first three "Thor" movies until his character was defeated by Cate Blanchett's villain Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok." In the "Divergent" series, Stevenson took on the role of Marcus Eaton, the leader of the Abnegation faction's city council and the father of Four (played by Theo James).

More recently, Stevenson appeared in the critically acclaimed Telugu blockbuster "RRR," nominated for an Oscar, where he played the villainous Governor Scott Buxton. He is also set to feature in the upcoming Disney+ "Star Wars" series "Ahsoka" as a Jedi named Baylan Skoll, who succumbs to the dark side and becomes an ally of the sinister Grand Admiral Thrawn. Previously, Stevenson lent his voice to the character Gar Saxon in "Star Wars Rebels" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

In the realm of television, Ray Stevenson took on the leading role of Titus Pullo in the HBO historical drama series "Rome" from 2005 to 2007. He portrayed a Roman soldier alongside Kevin McKidd's character Lucius Vorenus, and together they witnessed significant historical events during the rise of the Roman Empire. The show garnered seven Emmy Awards over its two-season run.

Stevenson also made notable appearances on television, such as portraying Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in Season 7 of Showtime's "Dexter," Blackbeard in Starz's pirate series "Black Sails," and the sailor Othere in Season 6 of "Vikings."

Apart from his involvement in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, Stevenson's posthumous credits will include the films "1242: Gateway to the West" and "Cassino in Ischia."