According to his publicist, Ray Stevenson, a very popular Irish actor best known for his part in the film Punisher, passed unexpectedly on Sunday in Italy. He was 58.
The reason for death was not given. Stevenson, who was born in Northern Ireland on May 25, 1964, began his acting career in the 1990s on television before landing acting roles in Hollywood films in the early 2000s.
In the 2004 action-thriller “King Arthur,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, he played Dagonet, one of the Knights of the Round Table. This was his first notable acting role.
In the film, his persona sacrifices his life during the conflict in order to help Arthur (Clive Owen) and his band of warrior brothers.
Stevenson was cast as Frank Castle, the titular mercenary, in the Marvel movie “Punisher: War Zone,” which was released in 2008.
Before Disney bought the rights to the Marvel universe and later reintroduced the character in the Netflix series “Daredevil,” the movie was distributed in North America by Lionsgate.
The Punisher was portrayed by Stevenson, who was the third actor to do so. In 1989, Dolph Lundgren made his direct-to-video debut as the vigilante, and Thomas Jane took up the role for 2004’s R-rated “Punisher.”
A PG-13 revival of the series called “War Zone” only made $10.1 million at the box office, against a $35 million budget. Later, Jon Bernthal assumed the role in the Netflix series “The Punisher” and “Daredevil”.
On television, Stevenson played Titus Pullo in the historical drama “Rome” on HBO from 2005 to 2007. He portrayed a Roman soldier who saw several significant historical events as the Roman Empire rose, alongside Kevin McKidd’s Lucius Vorenus.
Throughout its two seasons, the program won seven Emmys. In addition, Stevenson performed the roles of Blackbeard on Starz’s “Black Sails” pirate series, the sailer Othere on Season 6 of “Vikings,” and the Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko on Season 7 of Showtime’s “Dexter.”
In addition to “Ahsoka,” Stevenson will also have posthumous credits for the movies “1242: Gateway to the West” and “Cassino in Ischia.”
The late actor’s full name is George Raymond Stevenson. He was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, on 25 May 1964, the second of three sons born to an Irish mother.
His father was a Royal Air Force pilot. He moved to England with his family at the age of eight, first settling in the Lemington area of Newcastle upon Tyne and later in Seaton Delaval. He attended the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating at the age of 29.