In some hugely sad news, Michael Parks has passed away at the age of 77.

Further details are currently scarce right now, but Kevin Smith broke the tragic news on his social media channels this afternoon. A longtime fan of the hugely talented actor and musician, Smith had actually written roles specifically for Parks in both Red State and Tusk.

Having begun his acting career in the early 1960s, Parks went on to become a favourite of many, with him being particularly well thought of by genre fans for his turns in the likes of Twin Peaks, From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, Planet Terror, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Django Unchained, Argo, and We Are What We Are. A truly unique and mesmerising presence, he was one of those talents that would grab your attention regardless of what his role was in a movie or TV show, and he really was a true master of his craft.

Putting it better than we ever could, find Kevin Smith’s heartfelt words below:

I hate to report that my cinematic muse #michaelparks has passed away. Michael was, and will likely forever remain, the best actor I’ve ever known. I wrote both #RedState and @tuskthemovie FOR Parks, I loved his acting so much. He was, hands-down, the most incredible thespian I ever had the pleasure to watch perform. And Parks brought out the absolute best in me every time he got near my set. From the moment I saw him steal the opening scene of #fromdusktildawn at an advance screening at the Sunset 5 back in the mid-90’s, I said to @samosier “Could you imagine what it must be like to work with a Yoda of acting like that guy? I gotta write for him one day.” It took me 15 years but my dream came true on Red State (for which Parks won Best Actor at the @sitgesfestival) and then again years later with #tusk. Only Michael Parks could have delivered the line “Is man indeed a walrus at heart?” and make it scary as fuck. My favorite memory of Michael is watching him and #johnnydepp act with and at each other, like a couple of dueling wizards, in their shared scene in Tusk. Parks was in Heaven that day, sharing the screen with another brilliant actor and creating an unforgettable performance. He elevated any flick or TV show he was in and elevated every director he ever acted for. I was so fucking blessed to have worked with this bonafide genius. But really, I was just lucky to have known him at all. My heart goes out to James (Michael’s son), Oriana (Michael’s wife), Quentin Tarantino (Michael’s biggest fan) and any movie or music lover who was ever dazzled by the talents of Michael Parks. Farewell, old friend. I’ll see you farther along… #KevinSmith #actor #genius #rip #walrusyes

A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on May 10, 2017 at 8:13am PDT

The thoughts of all here at STARBURST go out to the family, friends and fans of the truly special Michael Parks at this time. Rest in peace, sir.