Michael Massee, veteran character actor from 'The Crow' and 'Seven,' dies

LOS ANGELES — Veteran character actor Michael Massee, who played Funboy in Alex Proyas' 1994 cult classic The Crow, died of unknown causes Wednesday. He was 61.

Massee really should be best remembered by the work he left behind — not the fact that he accidentally shot Brandon Lee. But it was Massee who had the unfortunate task of shooting the hero of the film, played by Lee; his prop gun was improperly prepared and Lee was fatally killed at the age of 28. 

The shooting was ruled an accident, but it haunted Massee, who was forced to take time off from acting. He reportedly never watched The Crow or got over the incident. 

Massee returned to acting in 1995 with a memorable turn opposite Brad Pitt in David Fincher's genre classic Seven, where he looked appropriately haunted. You could see the anguish in Massee's eyes as he squares off against Pitt in an interrogation room following the "Lust" scene.

Massee's death comes less than two months after his Crow co-star Jon Polito died of cancer at the age of 65. Like Polito, Massee appeared in two classics, which is more than most actors can say.

I've always called Seven one of the rare "perfect movies" because I wouldn't change a thing about it. Not a line reading or a costume choice or the font in the credits. And one of the elements that made Seven so perfect was Massee, since movies are only as good as the character actors who surround the stars. 

Fincher was clearly impressed with his brief scene, as the director cast him again in The Game.

SEE ALSO: Jon Polito of 'Seinfeld,' 'Homicide' and 'The Crow' dies at 65

Massee went on to play a major role in the debut season of 24, a show that was only as good as Jack Bauer's enemies. He also played a part in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, but The Crow was certainly his best comic book film. 

Massee's death was confirmed via Instagram by his friend and Interventions co-star Anthony Delon. For a taste of just how good Massee was at playing bad, take a look at a clip from The Crow below.