Actor David Huddleston, best known for playing the titular role in cult classic The Big Lebowski, has died at the age of 85.

The star’s death was announced by his widow Sarah Koeppe, who claimed that he had died of advanced heart and kidney disease on Tuesday (August 2) this week. “Things were not important to him – people were,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “He loved entertaining and would rather sit down and talk with someone over dinner.”

Huddleston appeared in over 100 films throughout his 47-year career, but was best known for his role as the mechanic-turned-millionaire ‘The Big Lebowski’, in the Coen brothers’ comedy of the same name. He also appeared in Roman Polanski’s Frantic and Mel Brooks’ iconic 70s western, Blazing Saddles.

“It was a great privilege to work with David Huddleston on Blazing Saddles,” Brooks said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. “His performance was sublime. He helped make all those Johnsons of Rock Ridge immortal. He was one of a kind and will be greatly missed.”