Actor Pete Postlethwaite Dies at Age 64

Oscar-nominated film and stage star Pete Postlethwaite, perhaps best known for appearing in films such as In the Name of the Father and The Usual Suspects, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 64 years old.

Pete Postlethwaite began his acting career in Liverpool at the Everyman Theatre in the 1970s. By the late 80s, he had made his mark on film, receiving an Academy Award nomination for his role in 1993's In the Name of the Father. He then appeared in one of his most recognizable roles in The Usual Suspects, which was awarded two Academy Awards in 1995.

Called "the greatest actor in the world" by director Stephen Spielberg, Postlethwaite had appeared in more than three dozen films in addition to a prolific stage career that included time with the Royal Shakespeare Company and an appearance on Broadway in 1984's Cyrano de Bergerac. In 2008, he returned to the roots of his career, starring as the title role in King Lear at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool and then the Young Vic in London to much acclaim. 

Most recently, Postlethwaite had appeared in the hit film Inception, and had finished filming the comedy Killing Bono, which is slated for release in the UK in April 2011.