British actor Edward Woodward, famous for his roles in The Wicker Manand The Equalizer,died today aged 79.
He had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital in Cornwall, his agent Janet Glass said.
She released a statement praising Woodward's ''brave spirit and wonderful humour''.
''Universally loved and admired through his unforgettable roles in classic productions such as
Breaker Morant, The Wicker Man, Callan, The Equalizerand many more, he was equally fine and courageous in real life, never losing his brave spirit and wonderful humour throughout his illness," the statement said.
''He was further sustained by the love of his wife, Michele, children, Tim, Peter, Sarah and Emily, his grandchildren and numerous friends. His passing will leave a huge gap in many lives.''
Woodward, who was born in Surrey in 1930, starred in dozens of films and television programmes over the decades.
He rose to fame in the 1960s and early 1970s in the television spy series
Callan. He then played police sergeant Neil Howie in occult thriller
The Wicker Man, a story of his search for a missing girl on an isolated Scottish island.
He won a Golden Globe in 1987 for his role in
The Equalizer, in which he played a British former intelligence agent turned hired gun and he also had a supporting role in the British 2007 action comedy,
Hot Fuzz.
He appeared for a short stint earlier this year in the BBC's
Eastendersseries.
He also recorded twelve albums of songs, three albums of poetry and fourteen books to tape.
Woodward lived in the Padstow area of Cornwall, with his wife, actress Michele Dotrice, who is known for playing Frank Spencer's long-suffering wife Betty in the classic sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.