Actor David Warner, star of Titanic and The Omen , dies at 80

Actor David Warner, whose long and distinguished career included roles in Titanic, The Omen, and Tron, has died at the age of 80.

Warner's family confirmed to EW that the English performer died Sunday at London's Denville Hall, a care home for members of the entertainment industry, after an 18-month battle with cancer.

"Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity," the family said in a statement. "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."

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In his 60 years as a film, TV, stage, and voice actor, Warner appeared in a truly staggering range of projects that encompassed classical theater (Hamlet, Henry IV), franchise fare (Star Trek, Doctor Who, Batman: The Animated Series), and numerous collaborations with iconic filmmaker Sam Peckinpah (The Ballad of Cable Hogue, Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron). A prolific genre actor, Warner also appeared in horror movies like The Omen, Waxwork, and In The Mouth of Madness, sci-fi features like Time Bandits and Babylon 5, and cult fare like Twin Peaks. He's perhaps best known for playing Billy Zane's nasty sidekick Spicer Lovejoy in James Cameron's Titanic.

Warner's most recent film appearance was as Admiral Boom in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.

Per the statement, Warner is survived by "his beloved partner Lisa Bowerman, his much-loved son Luke and daughter in-law Sarah, his good friend Jane Spencer Prior, his first wife Harriet Evans and his many gold dust friends."

Several stars paid tribute to Warner on social media, including his Mary Poppins Returns costar Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Edgar Wright, and the team behind Doctor Who.

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