‘Star Wars’ Boba Fett Actor Jeremy Bulloch Dies Aged 75

(UPI) — Jeremy Bulloch, the British actor best known for portraying bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died. He was 75.

A statement published on his official website said he died peacefully Thursday following health complications, including several years living with Parkinson’s disease.

Bulloch spent his final weeks before his death at St. George’s Hospital in Tooting, London, with his wife, Maureen, it said.

“He was devoted to his wife, three sons and 10 grandchildren who all love him dearly and will miss him terribly,” the statement said.

Bulloch became an actor at an early age, starring in commercials before transitioning to television, the stage and film, appearing in classic shows from the ’70s and ’80s, such as Doctor Who and Robin of Sherwood, , according to StarWars.com.

International fame for the Leicestershire-native would come when he landed the role of Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back, the second of the original Star Wars trilogy of films.

“I thought of Boba Fett as Clint Eastwood in a suit of armor,” Bulloch said.

In August 2018, Bulloch told fans on his website that he had decided to “hang up the Fett helmet” and stop attending conventions without stating why but explained that it was not an easy decision to make.

“In 1979, I was called onto the set of Empire Strikes Back to play Boba Fett, and since that day it has changed the entire direction of my life in such a wonderful way,” he wrote. “It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to inspire so many generations of Star Wars fans.”

Following news of his death, Mark Hamill, who starred as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series of films, mourned Bulloch’s death on Twitter, calling him “the quintessential English gentleman.”

“A fine actor, delightful company & so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him,” Hamill wrote. “I will deeply miss him & am so grateful to have known him.”

Daniel Logan, the actor who played Boba Fett in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and in the cartoon television series Star Wars: The Clones Wars, tweeted he will remember all Bulloch had taught him and the times they spent together.

“The Force will be with you always,” he said.