Sid Haig, a Hollywood character actor who for more than 50 years played thugs, villains and, most famously, a psychotic clown named Captain Spaulding, died on Saturday. He was 80.

His wife, Susan L. Oberg, announced his death on Monday on his Instagram account. No other details were given.

“He adored his family, his friends and his fans,” Ms. Oberg wrote. “This came as a shock to all of us.”

Mr. Haig, who lived in Los Angeles, played small parts in more than 350 television shows and 70 movies, including “ Jackie Brown” and the James Bond thriller “Diamonds Are Forever.” He became a cult figure among horror fans, who reveled in his portrayal of the murderous clown who terrorized people in the 2003 Rob Zombie film “House of 1000 Corpses.” He would go on to play Captain Spaulding (the name was taken from a character famously played by Groucho Marx) in two other Rob Zombie films. His long, lanky body towered over fellow actors.