Michael Nyqvist | Swedish actor, 56

Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, 56, who starred in the original

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

films and often played villains in Hollywood movies like

John Wick

, has died.

Mr. Nyqvist's representative Jenny Tversky said Tuesday in Los Angeles that he died after a year-long battle with lung cancer.

"It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that our beloved Michael, one of Sweden's most respected and accomplished actors, has passed away quietly surrounded by family," Tversky said in a statement on behalf of the family.

Mr. Nyqvist is perhaps best known worldwide for originating the role of Mikael Blomkvist in the Swedish The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series opposite Noomi Rapace. Daniel Craig played the role in the American adaptation.

In Hollywood, Mr. Nyqvist played a broad range of memorable roles, including the mob boss who terrorizes Keanu Reeves in John Wick and Tom Cruise's foe in Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

"Michael's joy and passion were infectious to those who knew and loved him," read the family's statement. "His charm and charisma were undeniable, and his love for the arts was felt by all who had the pleasure of working with him."

Mr. Nyqvist acted in a number of films that are yet to come out, including Terrence Malick's World War II drama Radegund and Thomas Vinterberg's Kursk, about the 2000 K-141 Kursk submarine disaster.

He is survived by his wife, Catharina, and their children, Ellen and Arthur.

- AP