Pete Postlethwaite, famously dubbed the "best actor in the world" by Steven Spielberg and who starred in films such as 'Inception' and 'The Usual Suspects,' has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. The respected British star was 64.Spokesman and friend Andrew Richardson told the UK press that Postlethwaite died in a hospital in Shropshire, in western England, on Sunday. Shortly before his death, he publicly thanked the hospital staff in the local newspaper for their "wonderful" treatment and care during his illness.
The unmistakeably gritty actor earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Daniel Day-Lewis' father, Giuseppe Conlon, in 1993's 'In the Name of the Father' and worked steadily through the years in big Hollywood fare such as 'The Town,' 'Romeo + Juliet' and the Spielberg hits 'Amistad' and 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park.'
Watch Video of Postlethwaite in Memorable Roles:
He began his acting career in the British theater after initially planning to be a priest. In the 1980s and early 1990's, Postlethwaite worked a great deal in British television.
Along the way, the actor made a wealth of friends. Bill Nighy, who performed with Postlethwaite in the 1970s, called him "a rare and remarkable man," adding in comments to the BBC that he was "honored by his friendship -- he is irreplaceable."
He received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2004 along with many other honors for his long career in movies, theater and television.
He is survived by his wife, Jacqui, a son Will and daughter, Lily. Watch More of Postlethwaite as Kobayashi in 'The Usual Suspects' and More of His Best Roles
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