![Warner](https://i0.wp.com/reel360.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/intro-1658841312-1.jpg?resize=320%2C194&ssl=1)
Emmy Award winner and sci-fi icon David Warner has passed away at age 80. Warner’s family said he died from a cancer-related illness on Sunday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for entertainers in London.
David Hattersley Warner was born on July 29, 1941 in Manchester, Lancashire, England and graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1961. Warner made his professional stage debut at the Royal Court Theatre in January 1962, playing Snout, a minor role in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1963 and continued to act in Shakespearean plays while he also pursued a career in film and television.
Warner eventually transitioned from stage to screen and made a name for himself playing villains, like the villainous Blifil in Tom Jones, Warner’s 1963 film debut.
Warner would go on to play Jack the Ripper in Time After Time and Ed Dillinger in Tron. Warner would continue to build his impressive resume on both stage and screen, seemingly finding his niche in the world of sci-fi appearing in or voicing characters in projects such as TRON, The Man with Two Brains, Frankenstein, My Best Friend Is a Vampire, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, Batman: The Animated Series, Gargoyles, Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, Men in Black: The Series, Doctor Who: Dreamland, and Teen Titans Go!
In addition to his sci-fi roles, Warner also appeared in Titanic and Mary Poppins Returns. One of his most notable appearances was in Star Trek: The Next Generation when he played Gul Madred in two episodes with Sir Patrick Stewart where Gul Madred mercilessly tortured Captain Jean-Luc Picard asking him repeatedly how many lights he could see while showing him 4 lights, but demanding that he tells him that Picard could see 5 lights. The torture continued through the two episodes, but the Gul couldn’t break Picard and he left the torture chamber telling Gul Madred that there were four lights.
Even with this many credits, Warner’s most memorable role may have been as photographer Keith Jennings in the classic horror film The Omen, where he meets a gruesome end.
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Warner appeared in so many projects and touched many lives. Many took to social media to pay their respects:
So glad to have been able to express my admiration for David Warner's incredible versatility and career in our time together on set. Even talked him into doing a Random Roles interview with @NonStopPop, because my goodness, what a life and legacy. ❤️ -LMM https://t.co/iqETAVZjgP pic.twitter.com/jXdTO9B2OM
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 25, 2022
Very sad to hear of David Warner's passing, an actor with a huge legacy on stage & screen and unforgettable roles in; Morgan: A Suitable Case For Treatment, Straw Dogs, From Beyond The Grave, The Omen, Time After Time, Time Bandits, Tron, Titanic and much more. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/sBh4VVvEfH
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 25, 2022
We're sad to report the passing of David Warner, who appeared in 'Cold War' in 2013. He was also known for playing his own incarnation of the Doctor with @bigfinish ❤️ https://t.co/0iGPZroBGM pic.twitter.com/7HTvqeUGc8
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) July 25, 2022
I met David Warner in 1981 when I was cast alongside him in TRON. I was thrilled to work with him because I was a fan. He made me laugh each time we saw one another. I'll always remember his incredibly dry wit. He'll be missed at all TRON-related events, and in life. -BB pic.twitter.com/B736lpxO0e
— Bruce Boxleitner (@boxleitnerbruce) July 25, 2022
David Warner’s gone? Aw man. Very definition of a class act. Managed to be a limitlessly versatile character actor without being in any way showy or grandstand-y. Just got the job done perfectly every damn time.
— Mitch Benn ???????????????? (@MitchBenn) July 25, 2022
David Warner stole scenes from great actors throughout his career but that was collateral, not intentional: he just ran with a solid character and purpose every time. Did the work. Never not good.
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) July 25, 2022
David Warner. Immaculate and singular in every part he played. Such fun working together, (always patient with me when I discussed his head coming off in “The Omen”).An honour to have worked with him and got to see him at his absolute funniest. A sad day. https://t.co/cs6z2rJULG
— Reece Shearsmith (@ReeceShearsmith) July 25, 2022
David Warner (1941-2022). I loved this beautiful man. pic.twitter.com/kUhkjiUshD
— Matthew Sweet (@DrMatthewSweet) July 25, 2022
RIP to David Warner, who, in addition to hundreds of terrific roles on film and TV, was one of TNG's scariest villains pic.twitter.com/bQx1YqQdpx
— Zack Handlen (@zhandlen) July 25, 2022
The extraordinary David Warner as Evil in Time Bandits. I could happily have watched a whole film about this character interacting with his minions. pic.twitter.com/IQQEN8c0qZ
— Nick de Semlyen (@NickdeSemlyen) July 25, 2022
David Warner's passing got me thinking about The Man with Two Brains.
— Sami Sadek????@TFNation22 (@Skullgrin140) July 25, 2022
How he and Steve Martin kept a straight face through some hilarious and utterly stupid dialogue is beyond enjoyable. pic.twitter.com/hQd5eUIOnD
All of us at the Shakespeare Institute are saddened to learn of the death of David Warner. (Please see full statement and accompanying images below.) pic.twitter.com/QKfjU3EoBy
— Shakespeare Institute (@ShakesInstitute) July 25, 2022
Warner is survived by his partner Lisa Bowerman, his son Luke, daughter-in-law Sarah, his good friend Jane Spencer Prior, his first wife Harriet Evans and his “many gold dust friends.”
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