Hootkins studied Hitchcock's every gesture and paid particular attention to getting his accent right. A planned repeat of the role on Broadway earlier this year was cancelled only after Bill was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January.

Known to his friends as "Hoot", Bill was born in Dallas, Texas, and began his stage career at St Mark's school, Dallas County. He joked that classmate Tommy Lee Jones was better looking and got all the best parts. "I supported from then on in," he said. He went to Princeton, and studied astrophysics before transferring to oriental studies. On the recommendation of his friend John Lithgow, he moved to Britain in the early 1970s to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He subsequently made his home in London.

Bill enjoyed cult status among sci-fi fans for his portrayal of Jedi fighter Red Six (Porkins) in George Lucas' Star Wars (1977), and later that year played Fatty Arbuckle in Ken Russell's Valentino. He also appeared in the 1979 remake of The Lady Vanishes, joined Max Von Sydow in Mike Hodges' Flash Gordon (1980) and played Colonel Taylor in Nicolas Roeg's Bad Timing (1980).

More screen roles followed, including two Pink Panther films with Peter Sellers, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Water (1985) with Michael Caine, Biggles (1986), Haunted Honeymoon (1986), Batman (1989), A River Runs through It (1992) and The Island of Dr Moreau (1996).

In addition, Bill had a thriving career in television and radio, and in recordings of the classics; earlier this year, Sue Arnold described his reading of the unabridged Moby Dick as "extraordinary". His stage roles included parts in Orpheus Descending (2000) at the Donmar Warehouse and Johnson's Insignificance at the Royal Court (1982). At the time of his death, he was planning a screenplay on Hollywood legend Fatty Arbuckle, focusing on the comic's life after his fall from grace in 1921. I had introduced him to Arbuckle's last wife, Addie McPhail.

Bill was a loyal friend. He supported Charlie Sheen throughout the Linda Lovelace scandal of 1991 and kept in touch with many of those he worked with, often opening his mews house in Pimlico to the likes of Martin and Charlie Sheen, Philip Madoc, Mildred Shay, Marlon Brando and Luise Rainer. He was a fabulous and flamboyant chef, greeting guests with the aroma of garlic and pipe smoke, and clad in a Hawaiian shirt or Japanese kimono.

He was married to Polly for 32 years, but they divorced in January. He was devoted to his wife of three months, Carolyn Robb. His death leaves a large void in the jolly world of show business.

· William 'Hoot' Hootkins, actor, born July 5 1948; died October 23 2005