Known for his roles as Toecutter in George Miller’s original Mad Max and Immortan Joe in Miller's 2015 masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road, we've learned the sad news that actor Hugh Keays-Byrne has passed away this week at the age of 73.
Longtime friend and director Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot, The Quest, Dead End Drive-In) wrote on Facebook, "I am sad to report that our friend Hugh Keays-Byrne passed away in hospital yesterday. A former Royal Shakespeare Company actor who settled in Australia co-starred in my Man From Hong Kong, and achieved world wide recognition as the Toecutter in Mad Max, and Immortan Joe in Mad Max-Fury Road. He was a fine actor and a good friend to Margaret and myself for 46 years."
He continued, "Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager. He cared about social justice and preserving the environment long before these issues became fashionable. His life was governed by his sense of the oneness of humanity. We will miss his example and his friendship. Vale, Hugh."
According to IMDb, Keays-Byrne was born in 1947 in Kashmir, India. In 1973, he moved to Australia, where he began an acting career. He is a well respected theater, film and TV actor in Australia.
Aside from his Mad Max roles, he also appeared in Stone (1974), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), The Trespassers (1976), The Death Train (1978), The Chain Reaction (1980) and The Blood of Heroes (1989).
Hugh has continued to work on TV, usually in smaller parts, and he is known for his performance as Mr. Stubb in the mini-TV series "Moby Dick" (1998) and Grunchlk in "Farscape" (2000) and "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" (2004).
All of us here at CryptTeaze extend our deepest condolences to Hugh's family and friends during this tough time, may he ride eternal, shiny and chrome.
Comments