Hugh Keays-Byrne, of Mad Max fame, dead at 73

Rob Beschizza

10:47 am Wed, Dec 2, 2020

Hugh Keays-Byrne, the intimidating British and Australian actor most famous for portraying Mad Max villains The Toecutter and Immortan Joe, is dead at 73. The news was reported by his friend and onetime director Brian Trenchard-Smith, and by director and publicist Ted Geoghehan.

Hugh Keays-Byrne, an unsung hero of Aussie cinema, has passed away at age 73. I'm continually floored that he played Toecutter, the central antagonist of 1979's MAD MAX *and* Immortan Joe, the central antagonist 2015's MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. Thanks for all the entertainment, sir. pic.twitter.com/55W99w3wzq
— Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) December 2, 2020

Keays-Byrne toured Australia with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1973, decided to stay there, and the rest is history.