We’ve learned the sad news today that actor Hugh Keays-Byrne, known for his starring roles in both Mad Max and Mad Max: Fury Road, has passed away this week at the age of 73.

Hugh Keays-Byrne, who was born in Kashmir, India in 1947 but moved to Australia in his twenties, played the villain Toecutter in George Miller’s original Mad Max (1979) and later returned to the wasteland to play the villain Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

Keays-Byrne also made a name for himself as an actor outside the Mad Max universe, starring in films such as Stone (1974), The Dragon Flies (1975), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), The Trespassers (1976), The Death Train (1978), The Chain Reaction (1980), Lorca and the Outlaws (1984), The Blood of Heroes (1989), as well as “Moby Dick” (1998) and “Farscape” (2000).

Fury Road ended up being Hugh Keays-Byrne’s final appearance on screen, and his performance earned him a “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” nomination at the Australian Film Critics Association Awards and a “Best Villain” nomination at the MTV Awards. Decades prior, his performance in Mad Max earned him an Australian Film Institute nom for supporting role.

Longtime friend Brian Trenchard-Smith writes, “I am sad to report that our friend Hugh Keays-Byrne passed away in hospital yesterday. He was a fine actor and a good friend to Margaret and myself for 46 years. Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager. 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.”