Max von Sydow, ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Star Wars’ Star, Dead at 90

Sweden-born French actor Max von Sydow has died at the age of 90. Sydow, who notably portrayed the Three-Eyed Raven in Game Of Thrones and Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, passed away on Sunday, March 8, his wife, Catherine von Sydow, confirmed in a statement to the French website Paris Match. At this time, a cause of death has not been revealed.

“It is with a broken heart and with infinite sadness that we have the extreme pain of announcing the departure of Max Von Sydow on March 8, 2020,” the statement read, according to Deadline.

After news of his death broke, many fans have taken to social media to pay tribute to the late actor.

“Sad to hear of the passing of [Max von Sydow],” wrote one fan. “That man could play a villain like no other. He will be missed.”

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Born Carl Adolf Sydow in Lund, Sweden, von Sydow’s stage and screen career spanned five decades. His start in the industry began with collaborations with mentor Ingmar Bergman, the duo’s credits including The Seventh Seal (1975), Wild Strawberries (1957), and The Virgin Spring (1960).

After signing on to portray Jesus in George Stevens epic The Greatest Story Ever Told, Sydow made the move to Hollywood in 1965, according to the Independent. Throughout his multi-decade career, made a number of other high-profile appearances, including Three Days of the Condor (1975), Flash Gordon (1980), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and David Lynch’s Dune (1984).

Sydow’s other notable credits include Father Merrin in The Exorcist (1973), the Three-Eyed Raven in multiple episodes of HBO’s mega-hit Game of Thrones, and Lor San Tekka in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015).

Sydow earned Golden Globe nominations for Hawaii in 1966 and The Exorcist in 1973, as well as two Oscar nominations for his lead turn in Pelle The Conqueror (1987) and a supporting role in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011).

Sydow will posthumously appear in war drama Echoes of the Past, in which he plays Nikolas Andreou.