ROAD WARRIOR

Beloved ‘Mad Max’ Actor Dead at 93

The actor and former chart-topping singer was best known for playing Pappagallo in “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior.”

Mike Preston, the actor best known for playing settler leader Pappagallo in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, has died at 93. His wife, Josie Preston, confirmed to Variety that the actor died on June 8 in Florida. No cause of death was disclosed. Born Jack Davis in London, Preston first found fame not as an actor but as a singer, scoring three U.K. Top 40 hits in the late 1950s before relocating to Australia and pivoting to television and film. He became a familiar face to Australian audiences through Homicide, Bellbird, and other TV series before landing his signature role in George Miller’s 1981 action classic Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, starring opposite Mel Gibson. Preston later appeared in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn, Hot Pursuit, and guest-starred on series including Alien Nation, Highlander, and Law & Order. His final credited role came as a voice actor in the 2002 video game The Getaway. The news of his death came after the passing of Max Max co-star Kjell Nilsson, who played Lord Humungus, who died at 76 in Queensland, Australia, after a four-year battle with kidney disease. Preston is survived by his wife and two daughters.