'Harry Potter' actor Michael Byrne dies at 82
What's the story
British actor Michael Byrne, known for his roles in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Braveheart, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, has passed away at 82. The cause of death has not yet been made public, reported The Guardian. Byrne was a character actor with over 170 screen credits, best remembered for his role as an older version of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter.
Hollywood appearances
His roles in other major Hollywood productions
Byrne also had significant roles in several major Hollywood productions. In Steven Spielberg's 1989 adventure film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, he played Vogel, a Nazi collaborator and one of the main villains. Six years later, he appeared as the violent nationalist soldier Smythe in Mel Gibson's Academy Award-winning historical epic Braveheart.
Career transition
Early stage career
Born in London in 1943, Byrne started his professional acting career on stage with Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company. His early theatrical performances included roles in classic plays like Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cherry Orchard, The Double Dealer, and The Seagull. He also starred in Death and the Maiden at the Royal Court Theatre.
Legacy
Transition to screen acting and war films
Byrne transitioned to screen acting in the early 1960s with roles in TV shows like Silent Playground, No Hiding Place, and ITV Saturday Night Theatre. His film debut came in the 1963 historical drama The Scarlet Blade. In the 1970s, he became a familiar face in war films such as A Bridge Too Far, The Eagle Has Landed, and Force 10 from Navarone. He is survived by his former wife Carole Nimmons and daughters Tara and Bryony.