Actor Oliver Reed, 61, Dies

Friday March 12, 1999 12:00 AM EST

Oliver Reed, the feisty, hard-drinking actor who was as well known for his antics off-screen as he was for his performances on-screen, died of an apparent heart attack Sunday in Malta. He was 61. Reed, who played the fearsome Bill Sikes in the 1968 musical "Oliver!," died on the way to a hospital after taking ill while drinking with friends in a bar in the Maltese capital of Valetta, police said. Reed was on the Mediterranean island filming a new movie, "The Gladiator."

PeopleTVDaughtry: How He Knew She Was 'The One'

4 More Ways to Get PEOPLE!

Advertisement

Promotion

Treat Yourself! 4 Preview Issues