web counter
 

Pete Postlethwaite 1946 - 2011

By . | Posted Under Miscellaneous | Comments (67)

postle2460.jpg

Brilliant English character actor, Pete Postlethwaite, died yesterday at the age of 64 after a long battle with cancer. He had, in fact, been working even after his diagnosis. Postlethwaite was 64 years old.

Postlethwaite began his career in the theater along with colleagues Bill Nighy and Jonathan Pryce. He had his first break-out role in 1993’s In the Name of the Father, in which he was nominated for an Oscar opposite Daniel Day Lewis, although he may be best known for his role as Kobayashi in The Usual Suspects. He could be seen most recently with small but pivotal roles in Inception and The Town, in addition to an odd little drama-documentary-animation hybrid, The Age of Stupid, about the effects of climate change on the world.

Dude could seriously act, too. Steven Spielberg once noted that Postlethwaite was “the best actor in the world,” and this clip — a promo for his King Lear — demonstrates the hell out of that.










Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance

← The 10 Highest Grossing Films of 2010 | Inheritance Valdemar II: The Shadow Prohibited Trailer | Cthulhu Is Calling, And He Is No Longer F**king Around →









Comments

Aw, shit. I just watched The Town again this weekend. Damn. RIP, Pete.

Posted by: TK at January 3, 2011 9:14 AM

Dude... that puts a damper on the day.

Rest in Peace.

Posted by: Rykker at January 3, 2011 9:16 AM

Eym an ennoc'nt mahn, an' soo's me sun!

Posted by: sars at January 3, 2011 9:19 AM

RIP.

With any luck, Keyser Söze is currently hunting down cancer, its friends and family, and anyone it ever knew.

Posted by: csb at January 3, 2011 9:20 AM

I should add that the guy's awesome. RIP, Pete.

Posted by: sars at January 3, 2011 9:20 AM

Fuck. I just re-watched In the Name of the Father the other day after seeing him in The Town.

He was incredible in that movie.

Posted by: Paultera at January 3, 2011 9:20 AM

Just saw this on Celebitchy. So sad for his family and for acting. Just saw The Town, and he was pitch-perfect, accent- and acting-wise.

Posted by: leuce7 at January 3, 2011 9:21 AM

I first became aware of him in Romeo + Juliet, the badass priest with the Celtic Cross tattoo covering his whole back. He always played awesome, that's for sure. RIP.

Posted by: 2HB at January 3, 2011 9:24 AM

Wonder what caused the cancer?

*looks at photo*

Maybe my dad and him can laugh about all the years they pissed away by smoking non-stop for decades.

Oh, and RIP.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 9:25 AM

RIP.

Posted by: Cindy at January 3, 2011 9:28 AM

Dude looked straight ghastly in that godawful Clash Of The Titans movie. Anyway, fare thee well, Kobayashi.

Posted by: the new transported man at January 3, 2011 9:35 AM

Guiseppe Conlon is dead!! SAD! RIP

Posted by: caro at January 3, 2011 9:37 AM

Oh man, this makes me really sad. I loved him - he was excellent in everything he did. He was one of those actors who could elevate a film just by being in it. He even became the subject of a running joke my college roommate and I made after the release of "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" - that everything was better with Pete Postlewaite in shorts. Damn.

Safe journey, Pete.

Posted by: luthien26 at January 3, 2011 9:48 AM

Oh dear.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 3, 2011 9:53 AM

He was a beautifully odd looking man.

And yeah....a little sensitivity on the picture choice, mates?

Posted by: anitra_larae at January 3, 2011 9:54 AM

I'm mad at you, 2011. Mad.

RIP Pete.

Posted by: MM at January 3, 2011 9:54 AM

Pete was the man!! Very sad....

Posted by: Garry at January 3, 2011 9:57 AM

I literally just watched Alien 3 last night (the version that sort of makes sense, anyway) and was surprised to see my friend, Pete. I had forgotten he was in that.

Happy Flippin New Year, indeed.

Posted by: annoyingmouse at January 3, 2011 10:15 AM

In my mind, I'm lighting bits of paper or letting them float through the air.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 3, 2011 10:21 AM

and what a voice he had.

sad news.

RIP

Posted by: idleprimate at January 3, 2011 10:24 AM

the un-acceptance speech in 'brassed off'? damn...it still kills me.

Posted by: blondefire at January 3, 2011 10:35 AM

Holy crap. He was amazing. Fuck cancer.

Posted by: jM at January 3, 2011 10:40 AM

annoyingmouse: here too. We watched Alien3 on Friday and I had forgotten he was in it. He definitely had one of the great voices. I loved his intro to Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet. Anytime he was on screen he took center stage. He was a hell of a presence, the movies are going to miss him.

Posted by: TylerDFC at January 3, 2011 10:40 AM

:( What unfortunate news. Rest in peace, Mr. Postelthwaite, you were certainly enjoyed and will definitely be missed.

Posted by: lubeg at January 3, 2011 10:40 AM

Well, there goes every Discworld fanboys' dream casting of Sam Vimes. And he would have been wicked awesome.

Condolences to Pete's family & friends.

Posted by: idiosynchronic at January 3, 2011 10:41 AM

So sad. Now I have to go watch Brassed Off so I can hear him harangue the band about Danny Boy. Boo 2011.

Posted by: Anne (in Reno) at January 3, 2011 10:42 AM

Umm, 2011 didn't kill him, folks. CANCER killed him. Stop booing an arbitrary time-stamp in the colossal, time-crushing machinations of this universe. It's futile, not to mention poopyheaded.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 10:47 AM

I hope 2011 leaves a bag of poo on your doorstep, Kballs. Hmph.

Posted by: Anne (in Reno) at January 3, 2011 10:49 AM

Eh. At least it'll keep solicitors away.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 10:54 AM

Well, there goes every Discworld fanboys' dream casting of Sam Vimes. And he would have been wicked awesome.

I know. :(

He was pretty damn funny in Dragonheart, too. And a welcome surprise in Inception.

RIP.

Posted by: Linda at January 3, 2011 10:54 AM

Damn. He was a fascinating actor to watch...very tightly coiled, and, oooooh, yes, what a voice.

I'm with 2HB.....he was fantastic in R+J...and everything I ever saw him in. Godspeed.

Posted by: dammitjanet at January 3, 2011 11:06 AM

Bye Pete, see you on the other side.

Posted by: frank_247 at January 3, 2011 11:29 AM

Liked him since "Old Man" in James & the Giant Peach.

Posted by: nic at January 3, 2011 11:32 AM

Fine, boo cancer then. I would think that's a GIVEN, though.

Posted by: MM at January 3, 2011 11:38 AM

Don't give me that shit! You'll BOO cancer and you'll like it!!!

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 11:41 AM

CHEEKBONES! I will seriously miss his cheekbones.

He stole every scene he was in, not only because of his unusual looks, but because he could really act.

Anyone know how to pronounce his last name?

Posted by: BWeaves at January 3, 2011 11:47 AM

Umm, just to clarify, you'll like the booing, not the cancer. That's a given.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 11:48 AM

He's dead?

He was the priest dude in Leonardo DiCaprio's "Romeo and Juliet." right?

what else has he been in?

Posted by: LordNinja at January 3, 2011 11:55 AM

Goodbye Pete Postlethwaite. Thanks for being superb.

Posted by: tamatha at January 3, 2011 11:57 AM

LordNinja gets the "I Don't Read No Fuckin' Comments" Award for the day.

Seriously? All anyone is talking about are his great roles. And IMDB.com is bound to have some information. I'll bet my innards on it.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 11:59 AM

Boo about the editing in the King Lear video... I just wanted to see Pete Postlethwaite in all his Lear glory, not weird little jump cuts all over his face.
LOVE FOR KOBAYASHI... and the weird old man in James And The Giant Peach.

Posted by: Carly at January 3, 2011 12:01 PM

Well, fuck.

Rest easy, sir.

Posted by: Aislinn at January 3, 2011 12:03 PM

BWeaves, I believe it's "Pahsselthwayt."

Posted by: coveredinbees at January 3, 2011 12:10 PM

Is that parseltongue, coverdinbees?

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 12:14 PM

coveredinbees is most correct on the pronunciation.

@blondefire: Brassed Off is my favorite performance of his, as well. It's a fun movie, but he really adds gravitas and meaning to all of his scenes, which benefits the movie greatly. And, yeah, he was the best damn thing about Jurassic Park: The Lost World. The only good thing, really.

RIP.

Posted by: RobP at January 3, 2011 12:17 PM

I haven't felt this way since Denholm Elliott died.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 3, 2011 12:17 PM

Kballs, I promise you, I almost wrote something about parseltongue. Get out of my brainspace.

Posted by: coveredinbees at January 3, 2011 12:20 PM

Most celebrity deaths make me go "meh" but this one actually makes me sadpanda.

RIP

Posted by: Lennon at January 3, 2011 12:26 PM

Bugger cancer. The man will be sorely missed..

I saw him last year, enjoying a smoke and a drink outside a pub I pass on my way to work. He'd been on a morning tv show, which I watched because he's awesome. And there he was in the street, wearing the same clothes as he had on the show. I did a double-take. I thought about saying hello, and mentioning his balls-out awesomeness to him. But being slightly starstruck, I didn't. Wish I had, now....

Posted by: Tarn at January 3, 2011 12:29 PM

@RobP---i hate, hate, hate that this was marketed in the US as a friggin romantic comedy! dear god, that scene with stephen tompkinson in that tatty clown trying to off himself? and when they play 'danny boy' outside Danny's hospital window and they turn their helmet lamps off? it'll tear your guts out.

Posted by: blondefire at January 3, 2011 12:33 PM

This was one of the really good guys, R.I.P. Pete.

Posted by: Pookie at January 3, 2011 12:34 PM

what a crap way to start the year. thanks for ruining everything, Death.

Posted by: beet salad at January 3, 2011 1:07 PM

Oh dear.

I saw "Brassed Off" for the first time when I was ten or eleven...I came for the Ewan, stayed for the Pete. (Yeah, my ten year old preteen tastes were rather unusual. Fuck yer BSB and Nsync, 90's.)

He was a brilliant actor, indeed, and one of my favorites. Here's to hoping he truly is resting in peace.

Posted by: nosio at January 3, 2011 1:13 PM

Hissssssssssssssss...

"Your delightful acting will be missed, sir" in parseltongue.

Not to be confused with "Hisssssssssssssss..." which means, "My God, what have you done to the dogs?" It's all in the pronunciation (deliberately mispronounced like "pro-NOUN-see-ay-shun" as opposed to the correct pronunciation "pro-NUN-see-ay-shun").

Posted by: superasente at January 3, 2011 1:22 PM

first teena m., now pete p.
yet gwyneth p, paris h, justin b, sheriff joke, russell p & jan b (those last three to those in th' know in the big AZ) are healthy as horses...,
god does have a perverse sense of humor...,
thanks, big guy...,
i hope you explain th' joke or your plans soon...,

Posted by: Sly D. at January 3, 2011 1:40 PM

Sad to hear.

PS,
Hey, Pajiba! Ditch the fucking, talking Lysol ads! It's fucking shite. I like the site, have been a longtime reader, but lose the ads, or I'll be leaving.

Posted by: DOOM70 at January 3, 2011 1:52 PM

RIP Pete Postlethwaite. Nobody but you could have portrayed Giuseppe Conlon as honorably as you had. A TRUE actor in every sense of the word! :(

Posted by: Susan at January 3, 2011 2:06 PM

I have to agree with the sentiments everyone's placed on here. He was a great actor. My first time seeing him was Usual Suspects. My favorite of his would have to be Among Giants.

Posted by: bignick at January 3, 2011 5:12 PM

Fuck you cancer, just fuck you, in fact fuck you sideways.

Posted by: clancys_daddy at January 3, 2011 6:22 PM

Pete could always be summed up in one word, which has been mentioned by a few here: PRESENCE.

Glad everyone in my family has finally quit smoking. RIP, Pete.

Posted by: Uriah Creep at January 3, 2011 8:16 PM

I wonder how many times my mother and I re-watched his Thénardier wax poetic about 'filling up the sausages with this and that' at the Royal Albert Hall before inevitability walked in and that VHS ribbon was lost to the stars? His performance spurring me on to a brief Les Misérables obsession, it was his face, voice and presence that imbued the character with the pluck, resolve and magnetic quality that made you want to spend more time with a largely loathesome being. The book, which is very good and--and some other things, had no use for extravagant merriment of singing. Others were hams or brutes in the role, he was the best. Sad news.

Posted by: Jo 'Mama' Besser at January 3, 2011 11:11 PM

Sad. He's amazing in everything I've seen him in. Now I can't say "Hey, there's Kobayashi" in any new movies with him and my sister can't look at me blankly. RIP

Posted by: Maggi at January 4, 2011 12:41 AM

Deepest sympathies to his family. Pete was such a diverse actor, could play anything. Loved him in Dragonheart and James and the Giant Peach too. Rest in peace dear man.

Posted by: Atlanta Roofing HQ at January 4, 2011 2:32 AM

Sad Face.

Posted by: Magiel at January 4, 2011 4:18 AM

Am I the only one thinks 'Pahsselthwayt' is somehow related to the delightful Emma Thompson? Seriously?! CHEEKBONES!!! Look at the Cheekbones!!! Also, Look at the eyes, the smile, the expression; I could swear to Godtopus they're related.

Posted by: Ilmarien at January 4, 2011 10:11 AM

Kobayashi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Maggi at January 4, 2011 5:24 PM

Hey I was wondering what plugin you use to filter out spam I can't seem to get rid of it fast enough on my sites.

Posted by: Hgh Energizer at January 4, 2011 9:56 PM