David Warner, known for playing the villain in The Omen (1976) and a malicious valet Spicer Lovejoy in Titanic (1997) dies at 80. Warner’s family said he died from a cancer-related illness on Sunday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for entertainers in London.

"Over the past 18 months he approached his diagnosis with a characteristic grace and dignity," his family said in a statement. "He will be missed hugely by us, his family and friends, and remembered as a kind-hearted, generous and compassionate man, partner and father, whose legacy of extraordinary work has touched the lives of so many over the years. We are heartbroken."

Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Warner became a young star of the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing roles including King Henry VI and King Richard II. His 1965 performance in the title role of Hamlet for the company, directed by Peter Hall, was considered one of the finest of his generation.

Warner played many iconic roles, including the 1971 psychological thriller Straw Dogs, the 1976 horror classic The Omen, the 1979 time-travel adventure Time After Time — he was Jack the Ripper — and the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, where he played the malicious valet Spicer Lovejoy.