Beloved New Zealand actor Clive Revill died earlier this month at a care facility in Los Angeles aged 94, after a long battle with dementia.

The veteran performer was born in Wellington in 1930 and went on to become one of the country’s most renowned performers.

Revill appeared in many acclaimed productions throughout his career, including voicing the villainous Emperor Palpatine in the 1980 movie Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

The accomplished live action and voice actor also worked on the 1986 Transformers movie, Batman The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

His daughter Kate confirmed his death to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing he passed away on March 11 in the Los Angeles suburb of Sherman Oaks.

Revill’s celebrated career began in the early ’50s when he met legendary actor Laurence Olivier and his wife Vivien Leigh, who were touring New Zealand. 

The power couple were so impressed by Revill they invited him to come to England to study drama at the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol.

He took them up on the offer and after several years of refining his craft, began his long career in film and television.

Revill was a renowned character actor known for his memorable roles in world-famous productions, including The Twilight Zone, Columbo, and Lois and Clark.

His final role was in the 2016 movie The Queen of Spain, opposite Penélope Cruz, after which he retired from the industry.  

Heartbroken fans took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved performer.

‘RIP to wonderful character actor Clive Revill,’ one fan wrote. 

‘Originally recruited into British theatre when Sir Laurence Olivier spotted him working at a bank. He would move to Broadway.’ 

‘Clive Revill has passed away at 94, the iconic voice we all know,’ a second added.

He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe in 1973 for his work on the comedy film Avanti, opposite Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills.   

The energetic performer was also a popular stage actor and performed on Broadway for many years.

He starred in several renowned productions such as Oliver, Sherlock Holmes and Lolita. 

The actor was nominated for a Tony Award in the ’60s for his role as the villainous Fagin in Oliver.

Revill is survived by his daughter Kate and granddaughter Kayla.