'The Walking Dead' star Dango Nguyen has died after a "hard-fought battle" with cancer.
Dango Nguyen and co-star Norman Reedus (c) Instagram
The 48-year-old actor and former firefighter was best known for playing the bodyguard of lead villain Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) in the hit US zombie apocalypse series.
The Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services, where Dango had worked as a sergeant for almost two decades, confirmed the late star had sadly passed away "early" on Saturday (10.08.19).
They wrote on Facebook: "It is with tremendous sadness that we mourn the loss of one of our former firefighters.
"Dango Nguyen passed away early this morning after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
"Dango was a member of our department for almost 20 years.
"Dango was a sergeant with our department when he left to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and other interests."
Dango - who performed under the stage name Dango Nu Yen - started acting in 2011, and just a year later he nabbed the part in 'The Walking Dead' and appeared in many episodes of the third season.
The stuntman departed the show in 2013 and went on to have roles in other shows including 'MacGyver', 'The Gifted', 'The Originals' and 'Banshee.'
His career as a stunt performer began in 2015, and saw him work alongside Jason Momoa on 'The Red Road' and Netflix's 'Insatiable'.
Dango openly documented his battle with cancer on Instagram and even had shirts with 'Dango Strong' emblazoned across them made.
In June, the actor celebrated his two-year anniversary to his wife Michelle, and thanked her for supporting him " emotionally, mentally, and physically".
Alongside a picture from their ceremony, he wrote on the social media app: "2 years ago we were married, it has been an amazing ride so far. Michelle has supported me emotionally, mentally, and physically more than I deserve. #boom! @buddhistbootcamp (sic)"
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