A Star From The Mandalorian Has Sadly Passed Away
An actor from The Mandalorian recently passed away. Rio Hackford had a longer Hollywood career on the big and small screen.
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Actor Rio Hackford passed away this weekend. At the age of 51, the actor had appeared in many movies and series over the years, typically in smaller roles. According to Variety, the actor died at his home in Huntingdon Beach, California following a bout with an illness. This was confirmed by his brother Alex. Hackford was the son of director Taylor Hackford and had carved out a niche in Hollywood while also maintaining and owning a number of different restaurants and clubs.
Hackford had a long career in Hollywood, taking on smaller roles in a number of different productions over the years. Most recently, Rio Hackford had a part in Disney+’s The Mandalorian, acting as the onset stand-in for the droid IG-11. That character was a protocol droid programmed to be a bounty hunter. That character died in Season 1 of the series when he sacrificed himself to an entire platoon of stormtroopers in order to help save Grogu. Rio Hackford handled the motion capture work for that character as well as the character of Riot Mar in that first season. He also appeared briefly in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy.
Rio Hackford had roles in a number of other productions over the years as well. He had a recurring role on the HBO series Treme, playing Toby Stephens. The character was a record store clerk who was friends with Davis McAlary, played by Steve Zahn. Hackford’s character appeared in three episodes in total in the series.
The screenwriter DV DeVincentis offered up a lengthy Instagram post in the wake of Rio Hackford’s passing that paid homage to his friend. He talked about how Rio Hackford was acutely attuned to the moment, wanting others to experience the most out of life. DeVincentis talked about this related to film, music, food, and a number of other things that were important to Hackford. It’s a touching post, filled with how Rio Hackford connected with others and what he brought throughout his life. You can see what DV Devinentis had to say about Rio Hackford below.
In addition to The Mandalorian and Treme, Rio Hackford appeared in a number of other productions over the years. He had parts in American Crime Story, True Detective, Jonan Hex, Scotch & Milk, Strange Days, and even confronted Vince Vaughn’s character in Swingers all the way back in 1999. Other credits included Blood I, Blood Out, Safe, Parker, and Memphis Beat.
Outside of his work on the big and small screen, Rio Hackford was said to have owned a number of different clubs and restaurants including One-Eyed Jacks, Matador, and Pal’s Lounge in New Orleans. He was said to have loved music, making his part in Treme all that much more fitting. There were plans for a number of other venues and establishments in the works as well. Hackford was quite active in this industry.
According to Variety, Rio Hackford is survived by his wife, musician Libby Grace and his two children. This is such sad news about the actor and he will be missed.
