Glenn Ford, 90, has died at his Beverley Hills mansion following a series of strokes.

The actor was most famous for playing cowboys, along with other western greats such as John Wayne and Henry Fonda, and often played the quiet but lethal bad guy.

His performances in gangster movie The Big Heat and drama The Blackboard Jungle were particularly acclaimed by peers and critics and fellow thespian Sidney Poitier described him as "a remarkable actor".

"He had those magical qualities that are intangible but are quite impactful on the screen," he added in a tribute. "He was truly gifted. He was a movie star."

Ford's first job in Hollywood was looking after horses for another actor as he was talented at handling the animals and also at playing polo. He was born Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford in Canada in 1916 and moved to California with his family aged eight.

His film debut was in 1939 romance Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence and he went on to make more than 100 other movies. The star was modest about his achievements and had commented: "Acting is just being truthful. I have to play myself. I'm not an actor who can take on another character."