British actor Pete Postlethwaite dies at 64

LONDON - Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite, a craggy-faced British character actor described by director Steven Spielberg as "the best actor in the world," has died at age 64 after a long battle with cancer.

Friend and journalist Andrew Richardson said yesterday that Postlethwaite died Sunday.

The actor was instantly recognizable for his unusually shaped face - with prominent cheekbones that gave him a lean, rugged look - and his intense eyes. He was not conventionally handsome but had a powerful presence and authenticity on screen and on stage.

Postlethwaite originally wanted to be a priest but was drawn to acting despite his father's objections about the insecurity of a career in show business. He worked first as a drama teacher before striking out on his own.

Like many English actors, he started his career on stage, branching out into movies and television work in the 1980s.

He reached what some viewed as his professional peak when he received a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his role in "In the Name of the Father," a film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Emma Thompson.

He had recently been seen in the critically acclaimed film "Inception," the bank-heist movie "The Town," and had worked with Spielberg on "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and "Amistad" in performances that sparked the extravagant compliment from Spielberg, a longtime admirer.

Postlethwaite never fully embraced the Hollywood star culture and kept a good distance between himself and the film colony.