Veteran British actor David Warner, known for 'Titanic' & 'Star Trek', passes away at 80

Veteran British actor David Warner, famous for his roles in A Christmas Carol, Portrait in Evil, Titanic, Mary Poppins Returns, various characters in the Star Trek franchise, and more, passed away at the age of 80. As per a statement given by Warner's family, he died from a cancer-related illness on Sunday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for entertainers in London. He was diagnosed with the illness eighteen months prior to his death. He died five days before his 81st birthday.

'Will be remembered as a kind-hearted & generous & man': David Warner's family

In a statement to BBC, the veteran's family said,

"Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with 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".

Remembering the icon, Star Trek paid a heartfelt tribute to him on its Twitter handle as it wrote, "Rest in peace David Warner. Known for his powerful performances in some of Trek's most important moments, his titanic presence will be sorely missed."

Doctor Strange writer C. Robert Cargill also tweeted, "David Warner was one of the genre GREATS. Full stop. Four great David Warner performances that aren't TITANIC, TRON, or THE OMEN."

Warner made his professional stage debut at the Royal Court Theatre in January 1962. The 80-year-old portrayed both romantic leads and villainous characters across a range of media and some of his works include The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron, The Omen, Holocaust, and The Thirty Nine Steps, Time After Time and the list goes on.

David Warner returned to the theatre with a Broadway revival of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara in 2001 as Andrew Undershaft after a nearly three-decade hiatus. Warner also returned to Shakespeare in 2005, playing the title role in Steven Pimlott's production of King Lear at the Chichester Festival Theatre. One of his final film roles was as retired naval officer Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins Returns which was released in 2018.