‘Lethal Weapon 2’ actor Joss Ackland dies at 95

British actor Joss Ackland, who notably appeared in “Lethal Weapon 2” and “The Hunt for Red October,” died Sunday morning, his longtime agent confirmed to the Times. He was 95 years old.

“He died of old age this morning with his family around,” Ackland’s talent agent, Paul Pearson, told the Times on Sunday. “He was lucid, erudite and mischievous until the end.”

Ackland appeared on screen alongside Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Richard Donner’s 1989 film “Lethal Weapon 2” as main antagonist Arjen Rudd. He also played Andrei Lysenko in 1990’s “The Hunt for Red October,” which also starred Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, James Earl Jones and Tim Curry.

He was a prolific actor, with more than 200 acting credits in a career that spanned six decades. Ackland was also noted for his roles in the films “White Mischief”, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actor, “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” and “Watership Down”. Some of his notable television roles include the 1979 adaptation of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Shadowlands,” and “The Avengers.”

Ackland’s last on-screen appearance was in 2014 when he appeared in the film “The Decline of an Empire”, which also happened to be the last film in which Peter O’ Toole appeared.

The constantly employed actor was also a staple of British theatre. He appeared in dozens of plays across England and his showbiz career was fully launched when he joined London’s Old Vic Theatre. While at the Old Vic, Ackland shared the stage with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench. He played Juan Perón in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Evita” and alongside Hermione Gingold in the London staging of “A Little Night Music.”

Born Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland in North Kensington, London, on February 29, 1928, Ackland made his first professional stage appearance at the age of 17 in a 1954 production of “The Hasty Heart.”

He is survived by his seven children, 34 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.