Kjell Nilsson, the Swedish actor and bodybuilder known for portraying Lord Humungus in the 1982 film Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, has died at age 76.
Nilsson died on July 2 following four years of complications from end-stage kidney disease. His family announced the news in a Facebook post, stating that he passed away peacefully in his sleep after deciding to stop dialysis the previous Sunday.
Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1949, Nilsson moved to Australia in 1980. There he worked as a weight-lifting trainer and later took on his first major acting role as the masked antagonist in George Miller’s Mad Max sequel.
His family noted Nilsson’s gratitude for his bodybuilding career, his life between Sweden and Australia, and the lasting connection fans felt with his iconic character. He appeared in several smaller film roles after The Road Warrior and completed his final part in the 2023 film Howlin’ Refrain.
