Frank McRae, character actor known for films Licence to Kill, Last Action Hero, passes away aged 80

American actor Frank McRae died of a heart attack on 29 April at the age of 80. According to  Deadline, the news of the actor’s demise was shared by his daughter-in-law Suzanne McRae.

Frank worked in several Hollywood films including the 1989 James Bond movie Licence to Kill, Arnold Schwarzenegger starrer Last Action Hero which released in 1993, and Sylvester Stallone’s F.I.S.T.

In Licence to Kill, he played the role of Sharkey, a close friend of Bond (Timothy Dalton) and Felix Leiter (David Hedison). Frank portrayed the role of Reed Youngblood, an inmate who helps John Dillinger (played by Warren Oates) to escape in the 1973 gangster film Dillinger.

His comic roles include Loaded Weapon, Batteries Not Included, National Lampoon’s Vacation among others.

Frank was born in the city of Memphis, situated in the US state of Tennessee. He was a double major in drama and history from Tennessee State University.

The actor was previously a National Football League (NFL) player. He represented both the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams as their defensive tackle, writes Variety.

Frank later moved to the film industry and worked in about 40 films as a character actor. He had a 30-year-long career in acting. He also made guest appearances in several TV shows which include Police Story, The Rockford Files, Hill Street Blues, Quincy ME, and Magnum PI.

Frank is survived by his son Marcellus, Suzanne, and his grandchildren Camden, Jensen, and Holden.