Ray Stevenson: A Tribute to the Thor and Star Wars Actor Who Died at 58

Ray Stevenson was a versatile and charismatic actor who appeared in many popular movies and TV shows, such as Thor, RRR, Rome, Vikings, Dexter, and the upcoming Star Wars series Ahsoka. He passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2023, four days before his 59th birthday. His death was confirmed by his US-based publicist firm, Viewpoint, but no cause of death was revealed. He was reportedly hospitalised during filming on the Italian island of Ischia, where he was working on an action movie, Cassino in Ischia.

In this blog post, we will pay tribute to Ray Stevenson by looking back at his life and career, highlighting some of his most memorable roles and achievements.

Early Life and Career

Ray Stevenson was born in Northern Ireland on May 25, 1964. His father was stationed with the Royal Air Force (RAF) near Lisburn, County Antrim, at the time of his birth. His family relocated to Newcastle upon Tyne when he was eight years old and he spent much of his childhood in England.

Stevenson was inspired to become an actor after seeing John Malkovich in a play at a West End theatre in London. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and one of his first TV roles was in the Catherine Cookson drama The Dwelling Place. He later appeared in a wide range of British TV shows including Waking the Dead, Dalziel and Pascoe and At Home with the Braithwaites.

Hollywood Breakthrough

In 2004, Stevenson made his Hollywood debut as a knight in the big-budget film King Arthur, which starred Keira Knightley. He then landed his breakthrough role as Titus Pullo, a loyal and charismatic Roman soldier, in HBO’s historical drama series Rome. The show ran for two seasons from 2005 to 2007 and earned critical acclaim and a loyal fan base.

Stevenson continued to work in both TV and film, taking on roles in The Book of Eli, The Three Musketeers, The Other Guys and GI Joe: Retaliation. He also played Frank Castle/The Punisher in the 2008 film Punisher: War Zone, which was a darker and more violent adaptation of the Marvel comic book character.

Thor and Star Wars

One of Stevenson’s most notable roles was Volstagg, one of the Warriors Three and a close friend of Thor, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He appeared in Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017), bringing humor and heart to the character.

Stevenson also ventured into another iconic franchise: Star Wars. He played Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian warrior and a loyalist of Darth Maul, in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. He was also cast as a main antagonist in the upcoming live-action series Ahsoka, which will star Rosario Dawson as the fan-favorite Jedi.

Personal Life

Stevenson was married twice: first to actress Ruth Gemmell from 1997 to 2005, and then to Elisabetta Caraccia from 2011 until his death. He had three sons with Caraccia: Sebastiano (born 2007), Leonardo (born 2011) and Orlando (born 2016).

Stevenson was known for being a kind and generous person who loved his family and friends. He was also passionate about his work and always gave his best performance. He will be greatly missed by his fans and colleagues.

Conclusion

Ray Stevenson was a talented and charismatic actor who left a lasting impression on many people with his roles in Thor, RRR, Rome, Vikings, Dexter, Star Wars and more. He died at the age of 58 on Sunday, May 22, 2023. His death was confirmed by his publicist but no cause of death was given. He was reportedly hospitalised during filming on the Italian island of Ischia.

We hope this blog post has given you some insight into Ray Stevenson’s life and career. If you want to learn more about him or watch some of his movies and shows, you can check out these links:

• Ray Stevenson on IMDb
• Ray Stevenson on Instagram
• Ray Stevenson: Thor and Dexter actor dies aged 58 – BBC News
• Ray Stevenson: ‘RRR’ and ‘Thor’ actor dead at 58 – CNN
• Ray Stevenson: RRR Thor And Star Wars Actor Dies Aged 58 – The Guardian