“Walking Dead” star and former Georgia firefighter Dango Nguyen, 48, lost his battle with cancer over the weekend.
“It is with tremendous sadness that we mourn the loss of one of our former firefighters,” a statement on Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Facebook read, according to Fox News in a piece published Monday. (RELATED: Legendary Comic Don Rickles Died At Age 90)
“Dango Nguyen passed away early this morning after a hard-fought battle with cancer,” the post read. “Dango was a member of our department for almost 20 years.” (RELATED: Hollywood Reacts To Death Of Legendary Actress Doris Day)
The post went on to explain how Nguyen left the department to pursue an acting career in Hollywood.
“But, once you’re a firefighter, you’re always part of our family,” the statement read. “And Dango was a very well known member of our family.”
“He will always be remembered for his physical and mental strength,” it added. “He was an aggressive and tenacious firefighter and first responder. He was also an excellent fire officer.”
The department’s post concluded by praising the “service” he performed for the community “with a high level of pride in his craft, as well as a competitive spirit that made everyone else that he worked with better too.”
Nguyen was involved in the third season of “Walking Dead.” Other TV shows he worked on included, “Meet the Browns” and “Banshee.”