Powers Boothe, star of ‘Deadwood’ and ‘Sin City’, dies aged 68

Powers Boothe, an actor best known for playing dark characters on TV shows such as Deadwood and in movies such as Tombstone and Sin City, has died aged 68.

Boothe’s publicist said he died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on Sunday. Beau Bridges tweeted the news and called him “a dear friend, great actor, devoted father and husband”.

The actor won an Emmy award in 1980 for playing cult leader Jim Jones in the TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story Of Jim Jones. He crossed a picket line during an actors' strike to accept the award.

“This may be either the bravest moment of my career or the dumbest,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Boothe lent his burly frame and Texas drawl to numerous TV series beginning in the late 1970s. In addition to the acclaimed HBO series Deadwood, he was seen on shows including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nashville and 24, on which he played the vice president of the United States. Among the movies in which he appeared were Red Dawn (1984), Marvel's The Avengers (2012) and Oliver Stone's Nixon (1995), in which he played Alexander Haig.

Actor James Woods tweeted: “Just sad, shocking and unexpected news. We had dinner with GarySinise and friends weeks ago. Nicest man. #RIP”.

A private service for Boothe will be held in Texas where he was from.