Following the news that broke earlier today of the tragic passing of Ray Stevenson, the Irish actor best known for his roles in HBO's Rome, and as one of the Warriors Three in Marvel's Thor films. Numerous friends and colleagues took to social media to pay tribute to the warm, kind-hearted soul whose charming personality lit up every room he was in.Just a month ago, Stevenson brought that special energy and joy to Star Wars Celebration, where he was clearly thrilled to be part of such a large event and the extended universe. He will be seen posthumously in Ahsoka playing the villainous Baylan Skoll, and he was openly thrilled about the process of working in a galaxy far, far away.Stevenson was also recently part of the cast of the Oscar-winning RRR in which he played the role of the villainous Governor Scott Buxton, and the film's official Twitter page paid tribute to him.
Tributes Paid to Ray Stevenson
James Gunn, who had worked with Stevenson while filming the post-credits scene on Thor: The Dark World, described Stevenson as a "joy to work with" as he offered his sympathies to Stevenson's family and friends.
James Purefoy, Stevenson's co-star in Rome, the period drama that was also seen as a predecessor of sorts to Game of Thrones, described him as a "brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life" actor.
Kevin Kiner, the composer who will be overseeing the music for one of Stevenson's final performances in Ahsoka described his performance as "haunting" with a "stunning gravity" as he decried the loss of such a wonderful on-screen performer.
Collider's Steve Weintraub and Maggie Lovitt both had the pleasure of speaking with Stevenson during the media event at Celebration last month in London, with the pair both admitting their devastation at the loss of "one of the good ones".
You can see our interview with the late Stevenson from Star Wars Celebration down below.