Swedish actor and Olympic-class weight lifter Kjell Nilsson, who was best known for playing gang leader Lord Humungus in “Mad Max 2,” has died. He was 76.
Nilsson “passed away peacefully in his sleep” at home in Queensland, Australia on Thursday after a four-and-a-half year battle with kidney disease, his family confirmed in a Facebook post.
“It was a long and painful journey, filled with countless battles to overcome, including the gradual loss of his bodily autonomy,” said the family, which includes his five sons.
They added that Nilsson’s final days alive “were filled with joy, gratitude, peace, and acceptance. He did it his way.”
Nilsson, according to his loved ones, decided to stop his dialysis treatment on Sunday “to take back control over his pain and his body.”
In 2022, doctors told Nilsson 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,” his family shared.
The family also recalled that 40 years ago, Nilsson suffered severe blood clotting in his legs that led to doctors giving him the choice of being a double amputee or 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’s loved ones noted his “relentless weight training, determination, and sheer force of will” kept him alive for the next four decades despite his dire health issues.
“Even in his final days, many doctors could not fully explain how he had done it,” the statement said. “Some referred to him as a walking miracle.”
Nilsson’s family confirmed there will be a ceremony held in the late star’s memory, with the time, date and location still to be announced
Nilsson played the main antagonist in George Miller’s 1981 “Mad Max” sequel starring Mel Gibson.
His other acting credits include the 1982 film “The Pirate Movie,” the 1984 TV movie “Man of Letters” and the 1989 film “The Edge of Power.”
Before he was an actor, Nilsson moved from Sweden to Australia to train for the 1980 Moscow Olympics in weight lifting.
In Australia, he met actress Kate Ferguson, whom he married in Sweden. Afterwards, she convinced Nilsson to return to Australia to pursue a film career.
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