'The Passion of the Christ' Actor, Dead at 48

The award-winning actor also had an impressive career producing cinema.

Actor Christo Jivkov has died. He was 48.

Jivkov, who was best known for his role as John in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, passed away in Los Angeles on Friday, March 31, following a battle with cancer.

The actor was born on Feb. 18, 1975 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He went on to study film directing at the Bulgarian Film & Theater Academy before being cast in his first film and the lead role for Ermanno Olmi’s 2001 feature, The Profession of Arms. The movie became a hit, scoring nine wins at the 2002 David di Donatello Awards, including Best Film.

The Profession of Arms has since been credited for kickstarting the then-20-something actor's career in Italian cinema and entertainment, as he later starred in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ opposite Jim Caviezel and Monica Bellucci and the drama In Memory of Me–which also swept award ceremonies, winning seven of the 11 awards it was nominated for following its release.

In addition to his work in front of the camera, Jivkov was also applauded for his eye and talents behind the lens and co-founded the Bulgarian production company Red Carpet Films. In 2014, his full-length feature Otchuzhdenie took home the Bulgarian Film Academy Award for Best Film.

"There are no words to describe the pain of this loss," the company wrote on Facebook after Jivkov's death. "We are truly devastated by this untimed loss. We will never forget you!"

Jivkov was also expected to be a part of the long-rumored sequel to Gibson's 2004 feature–which grossed some $612M at global box offices–reportedly titled The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection and in pre-production for a 2024 release, per IMDB.