Horror Favorite Sid Haig Dead at 80

Sid Haig, a beloved character actor who specialized in horror and blaxploitation film roles, died Saturday at 80, The Wrap reports.

His wife, Susan L. Oberg, made the announcement via Instagram, writing that his death following a fall and an ensuing lung infection was a surprise, and, "He was my angel, my husband, my best friend and always will be. He adored his family, his friends and his fans."

After recording the #4 pop hit "Full House" with the T-Birds in 1958, Haig turned to acting.

Making his film debut in 1960, Haig rose to cult popularity over time thanks to his steady work in such fare as "Blood Bath" (1966), "It's a Bikini World" (1967), and "Spider Baby" (1968), as well as appearances in prestigious films like John Boorman's "Point Blank" (1967), George Lucas' "THX 1138" (1971), and the James Bond hit "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971).

He appeared in the blaxploitation classics "Black Mama, White Mama" (1973), "Coffy" (1973), and "Foxy Brown" (1974), returning in a role written especially for him in Quentin Tarantino's hat tip to the genre, "Jackie Brown" (1997).

The perfect heavy, Haig was also active on TV.

After an acting lull, Haig's career got a jump-start when he played murderous, clown-faced Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses" (2003) and its sequel, "The Devil's Rejects" (2005), which made him a horror icon at an age when many people are retiring.