William Hootkins, famous for being the Rebel X-Wing pilot "Red Six" in Star Wars IV; has passed away at 58.

Hootkins was fighting a battle with pancreatic cancer, after being diagnosed earlier this year. He passed away at St. Johns Hospital, near his home in Santa Monica, California.

His first film role, in 1977, was Jedi fighter Jek Porkins, in the famous film, Star Wars.

A role, to which Hootkins would later joke, "In a sense, my career's been downhill ever since. Fans still come to greet me at the stage door with action figures of my character and embarrassing photographs for me to sign."

According to Whatsonstage.com, Hootkins was born in Dallas, Texas on 5 July 1948, the ebullient Hootkins - known as Bill or 'Hoot' to his friends, studied astrophysics and Chinese linguistics at Princeton University, and soon became involved with Princeton's Intime Theatre group. On the recommendation of his friend, John Lithgow, he moved to the UK after graduation to study at LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts) and subsequently made his home in this country.