Actor and weightlifter Kjell Nilsson, famous for playing the iconic villain Lord Humungus in the Mad Max sequel The Road Warrior, has passed away. He was 76 years old.
Following a four-year battle with kidney disease, the Swedish actor died on July 2,
In a
statement on Facebook, his family announced the difficult decision to cease dialysis for the movie star."As many of you know, Kjell had been battling end-stage kidney disease for the past four and a half years, receiving dialysis three days a week," the post reads. "It was a long and painful journey, filled with countless battles to overcome, including the gradual loss of his bodily autonomy. This past Sunday, after much consideration, Kjell made the decision to take back control over his pain and his body by stopping dialysis."
The statement adds, "On Thursday, Torsdag (Thor's Day), July 2, Kjell passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his sons. The days leading up to his passing were filled with joy, gratitude, peace, and acceptance. He did it his way."
Before his days on the silver screen, the hulking actor was an Olympic-class weightlifter. In 1980, he traveled to Australia to assist the Swedish weightlifting team in preparing for the Moscow Olympics.
While there, he met Australian actress Kate Ferguson, whom he later married in Sweden.
Inspired by his wife's passion for acting, Nilsson made the leap from athletics to entertainment.
Over his storied acting career, the Swedish star appeared in The Pirate Movie (1982), The Edge of Power (1989), Howlin' Refrain (2023), and, notably, the Mad Max sequel Road Warrior (1981).
Nilsson's family shared that doctors told the actor in 2022 that he would die by Christmas of that year, but the actor "proved them wrong" and lived for "four precious extra years with the people he loved most."
The family also recalled that 40 years ago, Nilsson suffered severe blood clotting in his legs. The blood clotting was so dire that doctors advised him to become a double amputee. He also had the option of keeping his legs, knowing they'd be compromised for the rest of his life.
"Against medical advice, Kjell chose to keep his legs," the family said.
Nilsson was a warrior on and off the screen. May he rest in peace.
