BRITISH actor Bob Hoskins, known for his roles in films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has died at the age of 71 following a bout of pneumonia, his agent says.

The gruff Londoner, who rose to fame in British gangster films in the 1980s and went on to have a long career as a Hollywood character actor, died in hospital on Tuesday night, his family said in a statement.

Hoskins, who was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe for his role in Mona Lisa in 1986, retired from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

News_Image_File: Last orders ... Actor Michael Caine with Bob Hoskins, Tom Courtenay and David Hemmings.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Bob “ said a statement from his wife Linda and the couple’s two children Rosa and Jack, and Hoskins’s two children from his first marriage, Alex and Sarah.

“Bob died peacefully at hospital last night surrounded by family, following a bout of pneumonia,” said the statement issued by acting agent Clair Dobbs.

“We ask that you respect our privacy during this time and thank you for your messages of love and support.”

News_Rich_Media: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Hoskins left school at the age of 15 and claimed he only got his break in acting by accident, after being mistakenly called for a theatre audition.

He began as a television actor and broke through into film with his portrayal of a doomed London gangster in The Long Good Friday in 1980, which won him a Bafta nomination.

News_Image_File: Groundbreaking ... Bob Hoskins broke new ground filming with cartoon husband and wife Roger and Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Picture: Disney

One of his best known roles was as the detective trying to work out Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the eponymous cartoon hero, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1989. That film, directed by Steven Speilberg, was an innovative mix of animation and live action that played with the conventions of film noir and thrillers.

News_Image_File: Well-loved Brit ... Actor Bob Hoskins with Helen Mirren in scene from film Last Orders.

He followed that role up by starring opposite Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci in Mermaids.

Other film credits include Hook, Super Mario Bros, Nixon, Last Orders, Maid in Manhattan and Snow White and the Huntsman, with Twilight actress Kristen Stewart.

In 2012 Hoskins announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was retiring from acting.