David Warner, a stage and movie actor who played dozens of roles in different styles and time periods, has died at the age of 80, his family said Monday.
Warner’s family said this in a statement that CBS News got from the BBC. The statement said that his death happened more than a year after he was diagnosed with cancer and was caused by complications from that illness. He died on Sunday at Denville Hall, a London retirement and care home where many British actors and other people in the entertainment business have lived.
“It is with an overwhelmingly heavy heart that we share the news of the death of the actor David Warner (at the age of almost 81), from a cancer-related illness, in the early hours of July 24,” his family said in a statement. The statement called Warner a “well-respected stage, television, voice, and film actor” whose career included “era-defining” theatrical work in addition to the screen performances for which he is known.
“Over the past 18 months, he has dealt with his diagnosis with the grace and dignity he is known for,” the statement said. “We, as well as his family and friends, will miss him very much. He will be remembered as a kind, generous, and caring man, partner, and father, whose extraordinary work has changed the lives of so many people over the years. We are heartbroken.”
Fans mourned Warner’s death and celebrated his life and work on social media all morning and into the afternoon on Monday. One of the online tributes was from his partner, actor Lisa Bowerman. She retweeted news stories from the BBC and The Guardian about his death and added her own message of sadness.
She wrote, “Good night, my sweet prince.” “May angel flights… Heartbroken.”
Goodnight sweet prince. May flights of angels…
Heartbroken.#davidwarner pic.twitter.com/muQuQJqk8R— Lisa Bowerman (@TheLisaBowerman) July 25, 2022
Warner was born in Manchester, England, in 1941. If he had lived, he would have turned 81 at the end of this week. His acting career goes back about 60 years, and he has been in hundreds of popular TV shows, movies, and West End stage productions. He has also won a few prestigious awards, such as the Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actors in a miniseries. He won the award for his role in the TV miniseries “Masada,” which aired in 1981.
Warner started his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the early 1960s. He had trained at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and got the lead role in “Hamlet” and other classic plays. After his leading role in the 1966 comedy “Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment” won critical praise and a coveted BAFTA nomination, he quickly became known all over the world. He went on to play the lead in movies like “Tron,” “Time Bandits,” and “The Omen.”
Warner is probably best known for his roles opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in “Titanic” and as a character who shows up in more than one “Star Trek” movie. He was also in a few episodes of the hit show “Twin Peaks,” which aired in the 1990s, and he was a regular on several “Doctor Who” audio series before making his debut as a guest star on the show in 2013. Warner’s last role was in the 2018 movie “Mary Poppins Returns,” where he worked with Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep.
Warner’s family said that he is survived by his son Luke Warner, his daughter-in-law Sarah, and his ex-wife Harriet Evans, as well as Bowerman and “his many gold dust friends.”
