Actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, best known for ‘Mad Max’, dies age 73

English-Australian actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, best known for his roles in the Mad Max franchise, has died. He was 73. His representative confirmed to Deadline that he passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning.

Keays-Byrne played Toecutter in the original Mad Max movie in 1979, where he starred alongside actor Mel Gibson. He was also in the 2015 movie Mad Max: Fury Road, in which he played the evil villain Immortan Joe.

Brian Trenchard-Smith, who directed Keays-Byrne in the 1975 film The Man from Hong Kong, was one of the first to pay tribute and confirm the actor’s death, telling fans on Facebook that he had died in hospital on Tuesday.

“Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager,” he wrote on Wednesday. “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.”

Meanwhile, filmmaker Ted Geoghegan also shared his condolences, writing on Twitter, “Hugh Keays-Byrne, an unsung hero of Aussie cinema, has passed away at age 73.

“I’m continually floored that he played Toecutter, the central antagonist of 1979’s Mad Max *and* Immortan Joe, the central antagonist in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road. Thanks for all the entertainment, sir.”

Hugh Keays-Byrne, an unsung hero of Aussie cinema, has passed away at age 73. I’m continually floored that he played Toecutter, the central antagonist of 1979’s MAD MAX *and* Immortan Joe, the central antagonist 2015’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. Thanks for all the entertainment, sir. pic.twitter.com/55W99w3wzq

— Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) December 2, 2020

Fans also paid tribute on social media, with Twitter user @PhysicalTV, writing, “That is sad! I met Hugh at one of the first reunion screenings of the 1979’s Mad Max. He seemed like a generous and free spirit, with wonderful stories to tell. He left an iconic imprint in [the] Australian cinema consciousness.”