Bruce Allpress death: Lord of the Rings actor dies, aged 89

The 89-year-old New Zealand actor who played Aldor in 'The Two Towers' died peacefully at home, his family says

New Zealand actor Bruce Allpress, known for playing Aldor in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, has died aged 89.

Though the cause of the actor’s death has yet to be revealed, his family said in a statement that he died “peacefully” at his home surrounded by his five children.

Allpress’s first role was in the Sixties series The Cheeseman Singer. He later appeared in New Zealand soap Close to Home.

He gained international fame through his role as a blind piano tuner in Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning drama The Piano, and as Jock McGowan in The Water Horse.

His role in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was small but pivotal, as his character accidentally fires the first arrow that begins the Battle of Helm's Deep.

The actor’s youngest son, Pete, described his father as a friendly, sociable man.

“I guess you could describe him as the guy you would like to have a beer with,” said Pete Allpress.

His other son, Michael, who founded Allpress Espresso, said his father had lived “an extremely full life”.

“He was very accepting of the vast diversity that humanity presents and very much an independent thinker,” he said.