James Rebhorn dead: Homeland and Independence Day actor dies of skin cancer, aged 65

His agent, Dianne Busch, said that he passed away in his home in New Jersey on Friday

The Homeland actor passed away after a long battle with skin cancer, his agent confirmed

James Rebhorn, a renowned character actor and star of hit spy thriller Homeland, has died.

His agent, Dianne Busch, said that he passed away in his home in New Jersey on Friday, where he was surrounded by friends and family.

He was 65 years old.

Rebhorn, who also starred in Basic Instinct, Independence Day and Meet the Parents, is believed to have endured a long battle with melanoma, which is a form of skin cancer.

"He fought it all this time," Busch told The Hollywood Reporter.

"He died Friday afternoon at his home in New Jersey, where he had been receiving hospice care for a week and a half."

He established himself as a go-to character actor among the Hollywood elite, famously starring as headmaster Mr. Trask in Scent of a Woman in 1992. He had roles in Silkwood, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Snow Falling on Cedars and Cold Mountain, to name but a few of his 100 on-screen credits.

He also appeared in a number of TV shows, including Wiseguy, Enlightened and 30 Rock.

Most recently, he played the father of Claire Danes’ troubled CIA officer Carrie Mathison in Homeland.

Several of Rebhorn's peers have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to the star since, including renowned director Roland Emmerich and Seinfeld star Jason Alexander.

Rebhorn is survived by his wife Rebecca Linn and two daughters.

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