Hugh Keays-Byrne Dies: Actor Who Played Immortan Joe In ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Was 73
He was not on the list.
Hugh Keays-Byrne, most known for appearing as Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road and Toecutter in the original 1979 Mad Max film, has died. He was 73.
Reps for the actor said he died peacefully on Tuesday morning. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith, who collaborated with Keays-Byrn on The Dragon Flies, paid tribute and confirmed the death on Wednesda
“Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager. He cared about social justice and preserving the environment long before these issues became fashionable. His life was governed by his sense of the oneness of humanity. We will miss his example and his friendship. Vale, Hugh,” Trenchard-Smith wrote in his Facebook post, which can be viewed below.
Born in 1947 in Kashmir, India, Keays-Bryne kicked off his acting career in Australia, where he earned his first credits in the 1967 TV series Bellbird, created by Barbara Vernon. Throughout the 60’s and early 70’s Keays-Byrne has appeared in a number of various roles, including as Morrie Grosse in Trenchard-Smith’s 1975 action flick The Dragon Flies.
Keays-Byrne’s acting gigs became more regular throughout the following years with titles including Ben Hall, Rush and Mad Dog Morgan. However, the actor came to fame with George Miller’s Mad Max in 1979. In the original action flick, Keays-Bryne appeared as Toecutter, the leader of the film’s ruthless biker troupe.
More than thirty years later, Miller requested Keays-Byrne return to the Mad Max universe for his 2015 Charlize Theron-Tom Hardy-led Mad Max: Fury Road. In the revamped look at the sci-fi world, Keays-Byrne’s Immortan Joe and his biker gang terrorize Theron’s Furiosa and Hardy’s Max Rockatansky as they seek to liberate the Wasteland.
Theron remembered her late co-star on Twitter: “It’s amazing you were able to play an evil warlord so well cause you were such a kind, beautiful soul.”
In addition to his on-screen work, Keays-Byrne trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and toured for the troupe’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Additional Hollywood credits part include Kangaroo, For Love Alone, Secret Valley and Farscape.
Filmography
Films
Stone (1974) - Toad
The Man from Hong Kong (1975) - Morrie Grosse
Mad Dog Morgan (1976)[9] - Simon
The Trespassers (1976) – Frank
Blue Fin (1978) – Stan
Mad Max (1979) – Toecutter
Snapshot (1979) – Linsey
The Chain Reaction (1980) – Eagle
Ginger Meggs (1982) – Captain Hook
Going Down (1983) – Bottom, the biker
Where the Green Ants Dream (1984) – Mining executive
Strikebound (1984) – Idris Williams
Lorca and the Outlaws (1984) – Danny
Burke & Wills (1985) – Ambrose Kyte
For Love Alone (1986) – Andrew Hawkins
Kangaroo (1987) – Kangaroo
Les Patterson Saves the World (1987) – Inspector Farouk
The Blood of Heroes (1989) – Lord Vlle
Resistance (1992) – Peter
Huntsman 5.1 (1999)[5] – Bain
Sleeping Beauty (2011) – Man 3
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Immortan Joe (Final film role)
Television
Boy Meets Girl (1967) – Leslie
Rush (1974–1976)
Essington (1974, TV Movie)
The Tichborne Affair (1975, TV Movie) – Tichborne
The Outsiders (1976) – Doyle
Say You Want Me (1977, TV Movie) – Harry Kirby
Death Train (1978, TV Movie) – Ted Morrow
Barnaby and Me (1978, TV Movie) – Huggins
Secret Valley (1980, TV Movie) – William Whopper
Runaway Island (1982, TV Movie) – Lucas the Ratter
Treasure Island (1987, TV Movie) (voice)
Badlands 2005 (1988, TV Movie) – Moondance
Dadah Is Death (1988, TV Movie) – Hammed
Joe Wilson (1988, TV Mini-Series) – Bob Galletley
Singapore Sling: Old Flames (1995, TV Movie)
Moby Dick (1998, TV Mini-Series) – Mr. Stubb
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999, TV Mini-Series) – McNiff
Farscape (2001) – Grunchlk
Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004) – Grunchlk
