Pete Postlethwaite, a brilliant actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in In the Name of the Father, died in England yesterday at the age of 64. The cause was cancer. Besides being a unique and talented performer, Postlethwaite was also a principled, decent man who protested the U.S.-led folly in Iraq and adapted his home to become environmentally-responsible, installing a wind turbine and other features, the Independent reports.

Postlethwaite's other films included The Usual Suspects, Inception, Romeo & Juliet and, most recently, The Town. Steven Spielberg, who directed Postlethwaite in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad, once called him "the best actor in the world." In response, Postlethwaite quipped, "I'm sure what Spielberg actually said was, 'the thing about Pete is that he thinks he's the best actor in the world.' "