Famed Character Actor Tom Towles Dies at 65

Beloved character actor Tom Towles, best known for his work in numerous fan-favorite horror projects including Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer and 1990's update of Night of the Living Dead, has passed away.

The news came from filmmaker and musician Rob Zombie, who directed Towles in The Devil's Rejects and Night of 1000 Corpses.

"I just got word that our buddy Tom Towles has died," Zombie wrote to his Facebook page. "He was such a great guy and I am so grateful that we got to work together several times. He will be really missed."

Towles, who also played Inspector Anthony Lastarza on NYPD Blue, has dozens of film and TV roles dating back to 1975's Dog Day Afternoon. Recently, he had appeared in Grindhouse and in the updates of Halloween and Miami Vice. He also had minor roles in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager.