r/movies • u/SpeedForce2022 • May 22 '23
Ray Stevenson Dead at 58 News
https://www.thewrap.com/ray-stevenson-dies-punisher-rrr-rome/2.5k
u/dewpacs May 22 '23
Was great as Blackbeard
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u/Your__Pal May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23
Black Sails was extremely underappreciated at the time. What a fantastic fantastic show.
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u/mylifeforthehorde May 22 '23
still is.. I think the Michael bay tag scared a lot of people away.
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u/PurifiedVenom May 22 '23
For real. I know almost no one outside of Reddit that’s seen it. And even on Reddit it’s not that popular lol. I know it’s been on Hulu for a while but it never got that Netflix bump that Breaking Bad got, nor did it get the same spotlight that HBO shows got since it was on Starz. I remember seeing the first trailer when it premiered and wrote it off as a GoT wannabe. Boy was I wrong about that.
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u/DNihilus May 22 '23 edited May 23 '23
To be fair first season is a gatekeeper. The show released after AC: Black Flag and I was too much invested in pirate stuff so I didn't mind how slow it was at the beginning but it paid of in the last half of the season
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u/PurifiedVenom May 22 '23
Yeah the first half of S1 is the “worst” part of the show which likely turns some people off. One smart thing they borrowed from GoT was just throwing boobs on screen constantly in S1 to keep people’s attention lol
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u/TG-Sucks May 22 '23
I actually think it was weak up until the last two episodes. They are the only reason I decided to even give the first episode of season 2 a chance, and just barely at that. But holy shit, from first to last episode of s2, the greatest turnaround I’ve ever seen. I don’t know what the hell happened to the writing, but from then on it was fantastic. The season 2 finale is just incredible. After season 3 it surpassed GoT as my favorite show, and I still loved GoT at that point.
Not only that, it stuck the landing. The series finale is just perfect.
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u/Kingman9K May 22 '23
Black Sails is an incredible show and I tell people that all of the time. Think I'm going to start rewatching it in honor of Ray Stevenson
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u/StonedGhoster May 22 '23
I started watching it again last week BECAUSE of Stevenson. And yesterday I wanted to make my wife watch Rome. Now I'm super fucking bummed.
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u/cthulufunk May 22 '23
“Aren‘t you going to hit the Skip Intro button?”
”No. No I don’t think I will.”
NA NA NAAAA NA NA NA NA
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u/e-rage May 22 '23
give a listen and pour out the rum lads
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u/hamburgersocks May 22 '23 edited May 23 '23
This is the only show I didn't hit "skip intro" one a single time. That is a hell of a title sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBmzzrU3gR8
EDIT: Found the video I was looking initially for to put in this post: "I didn't need to make it sound good, I need it to sound like pirate music"
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u/tommycahil1995 May 22 '23
Yes! was wondering why he looked familiar. Was great in Black Sails his final scene was nasty though
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u/exophrine May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23
Was a better Frank Castle.
"God be with you, Frank."
"Sometimes I'd like to get my hands on God."246
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u/TheKingOfSting93 May 22 '23
I always preferred The Punisher (2004) to Warzone, but he was great casting for Frank Castle.
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u/Malforus May 22 '23
He played frank better Thomas Jane had a better script.
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u/FngrsRpicks2 May 22 '23
I feel warzone was truer to the comic while 2004 Punisher was realistic.
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u/CanBeUsedAnywhere May 22 '23
I agree; Jane's movie was a more grounded, and also watered down version of the Punisher Story with only a few scenes that captured any of the true Punisher character. However, Jane did a great job as Castle portraying the human side of him. Jane also looked the part as both an every day agent and a damaged murderous man.
Stevenson's movie was much closer to standard Punisher story and got to explore that more violent side of him with what was allowed to be shown in the movie. But very little in the way of character or Castle as a person. Stevenson nailed the look of a stone cold killer, just never got to see him be a normal guy really.
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u/kr44ng May 22 '23
That's because the Punisher isn't supposed to be a normal guy. Tom Jane's fire hydrant popsicle Punisher is awful in my opinion; however, his Dirty Laundry portrayal changed my mind and puts him at the top with Ray in terms of live action portrayals, in my opinion of course.
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u/WallopyJoe May 22 '23
I loved his introduction, when he tells the three brothers he used to go by 'Teach', and when he's told Jack about Charles and says of the British "They failed to account for me."
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u/Boozin37 May 22 '23
He was great in The Other Guys!
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u/kpunk1982 May 22 '23
"There are three things I love in this world: Kylie Minogue, the small dimples... just above a woman's buttocks, and the fear in a mans eye when he knows I'm about to hurt him." RIP
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u/punkhobo May 22 '23
Hey hey hey, shake your dicks. This pissing contest is over!
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u/BustyUncle May 22 '23
God Michael Keaton was so damn good in this movie. He was easily my favorite part
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u/Hungry_Door7916 May 22 '23
It’s crazy how good and memorable he was as a side character
He has so many quotable lines, and I remember reading that he improvised a lot of it in that movie.
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u/Groovatronic May 22 '23
“And remember guys, don’t go chasing waterfalls”
“You did it again! Why do you keep quoting TLC?!”
“I already told you I don’t know who that is”
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u/Wilysalamander May 22 '23
And fellas, creep. Creep
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u/DirectlyDisturbed May 22 '23 edited May 23 '23
Come on...you don't say Creep Creep unless you're quoting TLC
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u/thunderstriken May 22 '23
“GATOR NEEDS HIS GAT, YOU PUNK ASS BITCH”
Keaton while on the phone looks for it and hands it to him like he just asked to borrow a pen. Always gets me lol
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u/Hollywoodsmokehogan May 22 '23
God just a fucking silly movie and I’m all for it make more comedy’s like this please.
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u/Tibbaryllis2 May 22 '23
I’ve always thought it’s crazy how poorly rated the movie is (6.6 on IMDB and 60% audience score on RT). It’s got so many actors playing their characters perfectly.
The Other Guys, Step Brothers, and Talladega Nights is one of my go to trinity of movies when I need a good laugh.
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u/barryhakker May 22 '23
Horror and comedy basically always get dismissed as unworthy of any score above 7.
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u/ICumCoffee May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23
Damn his last role is gonna be in Ahsoka. Loved him in RRR as a British Lord and he played Volstagg in Thor movies. He was only 58. May he Rest in Peace.
Edit: According to Italian Media, he was hospitalised on Saturday when he suffered an illness while shooting ‘Casino on Ischia’ on the Island of Ischia. His condition worsened this morning and he died shortly after.
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u/MacyTmcterry May 22 '23
I genuinely enjoyed his version of The Punisher too. RIP
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u/hnwcs May 22 '23
He briefly reprised The Punisher for the Super Hero Squad cartoon. It was something.
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u/Yolectroda May 22 '23
I like how they reference the entirely non-official and non-canon Bootleg Universe Punisher short (and completely not kid friendly), Dirty Laundry.
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u/mrhelmand May 22 '23
I was totally unaware of this, and watching that clip really took the bite out of the sad news cause I laughed so hard, thanks for sharing.
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u/shogi_x May 22 '23
He was terrifying as Frank Castle. He's the Punisher that most embodied the inhuman murder machine that he gives off in the comics I've read. No disrespect to Jane or Bernthal, but they're very much more human and sympathetic versions. Stevenson was the boogeyman you don't wish on your worst enemy.
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u/CELTICPRED May 22 '23
"Let me put you out of my misery."
I enjoyed his take. Now I've got something to rewatch tonight
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u/UglyInThMorning May 22 '23
Bernthal did the “The Punisher is Frank’s suicide attempt that just won’t take” aspect of the character well, and Stevenson did that “The Punisher is basically a Cormac MacCarthy villain as an antihero” aspect really well. The Punisher is so inconsistently written (most but not all of the Max run notwithstanding) that I don’t really think one did a better job of the character than the other, just different portrayals.
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u/acedelgado May 22 '23
Kind of like The Joker with Jack Nicholson, Mark Hamill, Heath Ledger, and Jared Le-
...well never mind the last one, but you get what I mean.
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u/shinurai May 22 '23
He so looked the part of Punisher! Needed more and better dialogue, but it's Punisher, so had to make do with faces getting blasted off instead. I'm cool with it. RIP.
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u/NonCorporealEntity May 22 '23
Warzone is still my favorite Punisher movie. It was brutally violent and had Frank putting down bad guys with extreme efficiency, and no hesitation or remorse. Add the campy, very comic book like villains and that detaches it from reality and let's you enjoy the extreme carnage without feeling bad about it.
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u/McQueensbury May 22 '23
Warzone is great after the disappointment of Jane's version, it was good to see a Punisher movie where he's just an unstoppable killing machine, great action sequences and some pretty funny dark humour, it was lean no mellowdrama or silly love interest story slowing it down.
RIP Stevenson
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u/TheKingOfSting93 May 22 '23
So sad. He was a really great actor, he was exceptional in season 7 of Dexter. He was completely wasted in the Thor movies, he deserved a better role.
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u/workaccount1013 May 22 '23
I'll never forget his character of Titus Pullo in HBO's Rome. It made me an instant fan.
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u/fulthrottlejazzhands May 22 '23
Pullo and Vorenus are two of the best original characters in any series, and I'll die on that hill.
Too bad Stevenson didn't get to perform what would likely have been the greatest ending to any series ever:
https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/hbos-rome-ending-was-originally-very-different/
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u/Fox_That_Fights May 22 '23
Theyre based on the only two named rank-and-file soldiers in all of Roman history, iirc. They had a rivalry but saved one another in a thick battle with the Gauls, and were said to be examples of what a true Roman(soldier) was.
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u/mannymoonsago May 22 '23
Named personally in Caesar’s memoirs. Being called true Romans by the Man himself.
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u/16meursault May 22 '23
He was great as Black Beard in Black Sails too. Also I liked his Punisher. I wonder what was the health problem he had because he looked very healthy.
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u/superchef307 May 22 '23
13!!!!!!
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u/BoringApocalyptos May 22 '23
Oi! Don’t speak about the 13 like that just kill me I’m ready to die.
Truly one of the best fight scenes of the series. He made the Rome series imho.
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u/Skyfryer May 22 '23
That whole showdown in the fight pit is still engrained into my memory.
For anyone who hasn’t seen it, his performance is something special in Rome. Rome is something special in and of itself with some incredible talent in the series both behind and in front of the cameras.
But Titus Pullo leaves such a massive lasting impression because of what Ray did with the role. I still maintain the HBO version of Game of Thrones stole its style from Rome completely lol
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u/cactusjude May 22 '23
I still maintain the HBO version of Game of Thrones stole its style from Rome completely
Oh yeah definitely! ... I just watched Rome for the first time a few months ago and was shocked by just how similar it was to early seasons of GoT. Not to mention D&D just straight up pillaged their cast list lol
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u/BoringApocalyptos May 22 '23
The scene continued.
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u/Skyfryer May 22 '23
Cheers, can’t leave people hanging halfway through that fuckdown!
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u/Wonderpants_uk May 22 '23
Just stand up and hold your sword out. You don’t have to run around or anything.
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u/Starman68 May 22 '23
What did he play in Thor?
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u/VaderPrime1 May 22 '23
One of Thor’s Asgardian friends, big bearded guy who liked eating a lot. Can’t remember his name.
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u/flight19 May 22 '23
Really wasted in Dexter too, in the end.
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u/TheKingOfSting93 May 22 '23
If you mean how they wrapped up his story, yeah, it seemed rushed.
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u/Moggehh May 22 '23
From Google Translate:
Since 2005 he had been linked to the Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia , known on the set of the Rome series
It makes me really happy that he found love on the set of Rome.
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u/InnocentTailor May 22 '23
I guess it is legit then. Man…so young.
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u/El_Superbeasto76 May 22 '23
Way too young.
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u/AdmiralBlackcock May 22 '23
Tha man did one of the best portrayals o Blackbeard I ever seen on TV. We will be raising arr glasses to em over at r/Piratehole.
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u/ChemistryRespecter May 22 '23
He was absolutely terrific in RRR, but he'll forever hold a soft spot in my heart for Punisher: War Zone and for being the only redeemable part of Dexter S7.
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u/Qtmazikeen May 22 '23
Wow so young :(, loved him in black sails, Rome and king Arthur
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u/Side_show May 22 '23
His sacrifice in King Arthur was epic
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u/Frenki808 May 22 '23
"The Romans have broken their word, we have the word of Arthur, that is good enough. I will prepare."
Dagonet was a bro.
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u/TheElStick May 22 '23
He was outstanding as Blackbeard in Black Sails, and even if he wasn’t the biggest movie/TV star in the world any time he would show up I was pulled in by his acting.
Rest in peace.
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u/Greybeard2023 May 22 '23
RIP Ray. Rome is a masterpiece and you were a big reason why.
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u/SphericalArc May 22 '23
Stevenson played a wonderful, cartoonishly evil bastard in RRR. Couldn't have been easy to match the energy of that movie, but he did. RIP.
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u/Untalented-Host May 22 '23
Oh dang, that's outta nowhere
Enjoyed his villain role in the Dexter series, one of the best parts of an otherwise lame season.
He plays an ally to Thrawn in the upcoming Ashoka series
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u/GreatestJanitor May 22 '23
I enjoyed his over the top character of British coloniser in RRR too. RIP
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u/Zachariot88 May 22 '23
Yeah, him ordering a man beaten to death because he valued a bullet as too precious to 'waste' was some supervillain shit.
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u/oftheunusual May 22 '23
I'm glad someone else mentioned his role in Dexter. He really did improve that season substantially.
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u/johngie May 22 '23
Wow that's awful.
The later seasons of Dexter catch a lot of flack, but I thought his contract killer character was such a great twist on the typical killer-big bad that Dexter faced. To me he was easily the high point of those seasons.
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u/BondageKitty37 May 22 '23
Such a great role. Starts off as the typical intimidating villain, then we find out why he wants to kill Dexter and we end up getting one of the best gay characters in television history
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u/gildorratner May 22 '23
First encountered Ray Stevenson in Rome and he immediately stole the show with his charisma and performance. I have not followed his career closely but I was always excited to see him appear in such varied projects and he would nail the tough guy roles and always add a little depth. I am still so excited for his role in Ahsoka but I will admit it will be a little sad knowing he will not get to see the community react to the character.
R.I.P. Ray Stevenson thanks for the terrific work.
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May 22 '23
He was at Star Wars celebration just a month or two ago. It's nice to think he got to enjoy a bit of that enthusiasm (and the more positive side of it)
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u/Afrodite_33 May 22 '23
Oh c'mon for fuck sakes. Been following this guy for over a decade now he was completely underutilized as a talent.
Was just beginning to think he's about to get a little more of this due and then this happens. And so young as well.
Shit sucks. Rest easy Ray.
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u/LucretiusCarus May 22 '23
He had such charisma he filled even small roles. But his work on Rome, RRR and Punisher, really showcase his talent. A pity he was taken so early, I will miss him.
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May 22 '23
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u/reddit809 May 22 '23
THIRTEEN!!!
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u/djkhan23 May 22 '23
THIRTEEN!!!
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u/FollowTheBeam May 22 '23
I loved him so much as the Punisher. This is hitting me harder than I thought it would. RIP.
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u/MrTeapott May 22 '23
I don't care what anyone says, I love that movie!
He was a great Punisher and the movie is really entertaining.
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u/Skyfryer May 22 '23
He was a pitch perfect Punisher. Anyone talks shit about War Zone loses points to me. There’s no other film where a parkour free running drug dealer gets shot out of the sky mid-jump with an RPG lol
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u/JeffRyan1 May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23
I've honestly never seen a more shockingly perfect page-to-screen transition that Punisher Max to Ray Stevenson. They drew him as a patient beast of a man, and Ray was able to deliver than intensity: he was intimidating while standing still doing nothing. RIP, big guy.
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u/chillahibbz May 22 '23
Him as Teach (Blackbeard) is one the best characters in all of television and he was amazing in Rome too. RIP man, great career.
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u/brenfukungfu May 22 '23
Whattttttttt?!? The best punisher, his role in Rome was amazing and all around great actor! He will be missed.
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u/AlexHendrix20 May 22 '23 edited May 22 '23
Titus Pullo will live forever as one of the greatest performances of all times Fuck this hurts
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u/ThervingiAmal May 22 '23
First saw him in King Arthur when I was a lad.. very sad to see this.
He was a great actor and loved him in every role he was in.
Rest in peace Dagonet
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u/Lowgarr May 22 '23
Damn he was up on stage at Star Wars celebration not that long ago...
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u/Neurodrill May 22 '23
A couple roles I loved him in that I didn’t see mentioned were Firefly in GI Joe, Redridge in The Book of Eli, and his run as Volstagg in the Thor series. Every movie or show he was in was better for it. This sucks ><. RIP.
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u/CreamedCorb May 22 '23
Absolutely gutted - loved him so much as Titus Pullo in HBO's Rome. Honestly no clue how many times I've rewatched that series.
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May 22 '23
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u/shogi_x May 22 '23
The Italian newspapers said he got sick on Saturday and his condition worsened rapidly.
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u/Regi_L0903 May 22 '23
RIP. i remember his role as frank castle in punisher war zone. one of the best anti hero movie for me.
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u/kaukanapoissa May 22 '23
Oh no. He was definitely one of my favorites. Titus Pullo… Blackbeard… awesome roles.
Rest in peace. 😢
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u/Bullmoose39 May 22 '23
What the fuck! He was fun in damned near everything he was in. Way, way, way too young for him. We should be enjoying him chewing scenery for decades to come. I know they won't see this but my condolences to his family and friends.
This sucks!
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u/JoeThrilling May 22 '23
No way, loved him in lots of things especially Rome as Titus Pullo.