Actor-producer Christo Jivkov died last night after a long battle with lung cancer. Known for his role as John in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Jivkov passed away in Los Angeles at 48 years old.

Born in 1975 in Sofia, Bulgaria, he graduated from the Bulgarian Film and Theater Academy, where he majored in film directing. Shortly afterward, he was cast as the lead role of Giovanni de Medici in Ermanno Olmi’s war drama The Profession of Arms (Il mestiere delle armi). The film follows papal army commander De Medici, who leads the battle against Georg von Frundsburg’s mercenary army. Arms swept the 2002 David di Donatello Awards with nine wins, including Best Director, Best Music, and Best Film, helping Jivkov’s career take off in Italian cinema and television.

Later on, Jivkov was cast as John, the apostle, in the 2004 biblical drama The Passion of the Christ, which followed the last twelve hours of Jesus’ life. While it garnered controversy for its purported antisemitism, it still grossed nearly $612 million, making it the highest-grossing Christian and independent film. Jivkov was initially slated to return as John in the upcoming Passion sequel, which will follow Jesus’ resurrection. There is no news about how Jivkov’s passing will affect the project.