#Danny Hicks, ‘Evil Dead II’ and ‘Spider-Man 2’ actor, dies at 68

By Klaritza Rico, Variety

Danny Hicks, an actor who starred in the horror classic “Evil Dead II,” has died after battling cancer. He was 68.

Hicks’ convention management team, Full Empire Productions, posted the news on Facebook, writing, “Danny passed away at his home in CA. We love you Danny, rest easy my friend.”

In Sam Raimi’s comedic horror sequel “Evil Dead II,” Hicks plays Jake, a local who comes to a bad end in an abandoned cabin.

Earlier this month, Hicks shared he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer on Facebook.

“To all of the people that I never got to meet, and the 6,018 die hard fans that enjoyed my work. I have some bad news,” he wrote. “I have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I have approximately 1 to 3 years to live. But I gotta tell ya, I sure as hell packed a whole bunch of living into my 68 years,” he added.

On June 25, Dominic Mancini, a friend of the actor who runs Full Empire Productions, gave an update on Hicks’ health, stating he spoke with the star who sounded “weak and exhausted.”

“I wanted to bring everyone an update on our dear Danny Hicks. Sadly, it is not a good update,” wrote Mancini. “I last spoke with Danny on June 16th. He sounded very weak and exhausted. He said he was not sleeping or eating due to being in so much pain. I could not keep him on the phone longer than 3 to 4 minutes.”

Mancini went on to share Hicks experienced a “bad fall” a few days later on June 18 and went to the ER before being sent home with hospice care.

Hicks was born in Pontiac, Mich., on July 19, 1951. He appeared in 36 movies, including “Intruder” “Darkman” and the 2004 “Spider-Man 2,” all three of which were directed by Raimi. He also appeared in films such as “Darkman,” “Wishmaster” and “My Name is Bruce.”