Acclaimed actor Wings Hauser has died at the age of 77. The sad news was announced in a post on his official Facebook page which read: "Movie icon Wings Hauser took flight in the arms of his film and music partner, Cali Lili Hauser at their studio this weekend." Throughout his almost six decade career Wings, whose son is star Cole Hauser, 49, appeared in over 110 movies and television shows. He was once called "the biggest star you've never heard of".

Devastated fans took to social media paying tribute to the legend on X. "While I can't remember for certain, I believe the first time Wings Hauser came into my cinematic life was when my mother rented VICE SQUAD (1982)...His acting range was...incredibly wide. One moment, he could be playing a terrifying pimp in VICE SQUAD with the determination to kill that would put a Terminator T-800 to shame, and the next he could be playing a lawyer in Michael Mann's INSIDER. Wings Hauser was a true actor. A genuine artist. His kind is rare. And he will truly be missed," one wrote.

"Sad to hear of the passing of Wings Hauser, a true legend of cult cinema. From his unforgettable turn as the menacing Ramrod in Vice Squad to his countless roles across action, horror, and drama, Hauser brought an intensity and charisma that made every performance memorable. His work left a lasting mark on genre filmmaking, and his legacy will live on. Our thoughts go out to his family, friends, and fans. Rest easy, Wings," another commented.

A third chimed in: "RIP - Wings Hauser - truly one of the great heavies - (top 5) - in film history." A fourth said: "So sad to hear of Wings Hauser's passing. An absolute legend as an actor, and the movies he directed are pretty great as well."

"Just read about Wings Hauser. A great genre actor played hero's to villains. I highly recommend watching Pale Blood & my personal favorite is Dead Man Walking (not the Sean Penn movie) Mr Hauser I thank you for the movie memories & my condolences to your family," a fifth lamented.

Meanwhile a sixth said: "Wings Hauser has passed away. He's one of those old school actors who was in so many good movies but never really made it to the A list. Probably one of the best character actors ever if not the best!"

Born Gerald Dwight Hauser his father was winning screenwriter Dwight Hauser. He made his screen debut with an uncredited appearance in the 1967 film First to Fight. However it wold be another decade before he fully committed to acting when in December 1977 he was cast to play Greg Foster on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He remained with the show until 1981. He returned to the part nearly thirty years later for three episodes, in 2010.

He went on to appear on hugely popular TV shows such as Magnum P.I., The Fall Guy, The A-Team, Murder She Wrote and more recently Bones, House and Criminal Minds. On the big screen he graced titles such as Tales From the Hood and The Insider, which saw him appear oppsite Al Pacino and Russell Crowe.

He married four times and had two children a daughter Bright and son Cole, who followed in his footsteps and is best known for playing Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone.

The cause of death has not yet been reported.