David Warner was often cast as the villain

LONDON — David Warner, a versatile British actor whose roles ranged from Shakespearean tragedies to sci-fi cult classics, has died of cancer-related illness. He was 80.

Often cast as a villain, Warner had roles in 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.

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 also starred in Hall's 1968 film of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," opposite Helen Mirren and Diana Rigg.

Despite his acclaim as as a stage actor, chronic stage fright led Warner to prefer film and TV work for many years.

He was nominated for a British Academy Film Award for the title role in Karel Reisz's Swinging London tragicomedy "Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment," released in 1966. He later won an Emmy for his role as Roman politician Pomponius Falco in the 1981 TV miniseries "Masada."

He had a prolific career on film and TV in both Britain and the United States, and became beloved of sci-fi fans for roles in Terry Gilliam's "Time Bandits," computer movie "Tron," Tim Burton's remake of "Planet of the Apes," and the "Star Trek" franchise, where he made several appearances in different roles.

One of his final film roles was as retired naval officer Admiral Boom in "Mary Poppins Returns," released in 2018.

Warner's family said he would be 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."