Sergio Calderón, ‘Men in Black’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Actor, Dies at 77

Sergio Calderón, a longtime actor who appeared in films including “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” and “Men in Black,” died Wednesday of pneumonia. He was 77.

Calderón’s representative, Julie Smith, confirmed his death to the LA Times on Thursday.

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Calderón appeared in the 1997 film “Men in Black,” where he played the floating head on a pole carried by an alien that Tommy Lee Jones’s Agent K reveals, earning him the nickname “Head on a Stick.”

Calderón was born in Mexico, where attended the Instituto Andrés Soler of the Asociación Nacional de Actores. While he was working as an English teacher, he broke into the film industry with a role in “The Bridge in the Jungle” which starred John Huston. In “Under the Volcano,” directed by Huston, he played one of the murderers.

He would then go on to appear in other projects such as “Old Gringo,” “Erendira,” “Players,” Ron Howard’s “The Missing,” “High Risk,” “The A-Team” and “The Ruins.” His most recent credit came in the series “The Resort,” where he played a detective in 2022.

Calderón received his Screen Actors Guild card for his performance in “The In-Laws” and subsequently moved to Los Angeles. He also portrayed villain Pirate Lord Eduardo Villanueva in “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.”

“Fly high my KING, My LIGHT, My Rock, My Best Friend, BEST DAD, BEST GRANDPA, My STRENGTH, MY INSPIRATION.. and MY MENTOR,” said Calderón’s son, Patrick, in an Instagram post. “YOU FORMED ME INTO THE MAN I AM.. YOU ARE AT PEACE and in the best COMPANY.”

Calderón is survived by his wife; Karen Dakin, his children; Patrick Calderón-Dakin and Johanna Calderón-Dakin, and his three grandchildren; Krishnaavi, Emiliano and Victoria.

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