Pete Postlethwaite loses battle with cancer

WARRINGTON born Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite has died aged 64 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
He passed away peacefully in hospital in Shropshire on Sunday following a lengthy illness. He had continued to work until recent months despite receiving treatment for cancer.
Postlethwaite received an OBE in the 2004 New Year Honours List, and was once described by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg as “the best actor in the world”.
They worked together on The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad.
Postlethwaite received his Oscar nomination for his part as Guiseppe Conlon in the 1993 film “In The Name Of The Father”, about the wrongful convictions of the so-called Guildford Four for an IRA bomb attack.
His other films included Brassed Off, The Usual Suspects, The Shipping News, Inception, Romeo & Juliet and The Town.
Born in Warrington, he had originally planned to be a priest but later became a teacher before eventually following his passion for the stage, beginning his career at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. He rubbed shoulders with future stars including Bill Nighy, Julie Walters, Alan Bleasdale, Jonathan Pryce, Matthew Kelly and Anthony Sher.
Postlethwaite lived in rural Shropshire near the Welsh border.