Sonny Landam dies at 76 following heart failure

American film actor and stunt man Sonny Landham passed away at 76 following congestive heart failure.

His sister, Dawn Boehler, said in a statement that the actor died from heart failure at a hospital in Kentucky.

Landham was best known for his role as Billy Sole in 1987 action film 'Predator' in which he starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He reportedly began his career in adult films and also made appearances in films like 'Miami Vice' and 'The A-Team'.

He was cast as tough street cop in 1979 thriller 'The Warriors' and was type-cast as the tough guy in 1980s films including 'Action Jackson'.

He continued to appear in films through the 1990s.

In 2003, he ran a brief campaign for the governor of Kentucky, but was unable to secure the Republican Party's nomination.

To pay tribute to the late actor, his former 'Predator' co-star Arnold took to his Twitter handle and wrote, "Sonny Landham was such a joy to work with on Predator - so talented, so fun to be around. We'll miss him. My thoughts are with his family."

The 'Lock up' star is survived by son William and daughter Priscilla.