‘Lord of the Rings’ actor Pete Smith passes away

Lord of the Rings actor Pete Smith has died at the age of 63, his family confirmed on Sunday.

According to his son Poumau Smith, Pete passed away on Saturday following kidney disease battle.

He told local media in New Zealand, "For the last seven years, he'd been on dialysis which took its toll on him over the years. Within the last two years he was also diagnosed with dementia.

"We started doing dialysis at home but over the last few weeks he suffered an infection which he fought for the last four weeks."

Smith made his acting debut in 1985 and was best known for his roles in Once Were Warriors and The Piano.

He also featured in 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.