Russell Crowe, Molloy pay tribute to Bill Hunter

Various Australian stars have paid their respects to Bill Hunter.

The 71-year-old actor, who was best known for his roles in movies such as Muriel's Wedding, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Crackerjack, passed away on Saturday after a battle with cancer.

Russell Crowe wrote on his Twitter page: "Very sad to hear about Bill Hunter. Unique talent... Thanks for the entertainment mate, RIP."

TV star Mick Molloy, who worked with Hunter on Crackerjack, told The Daily Telegraph: "I learned so much from him. Not just acting, but about how to behave as a person. How to engage the world. And I've been very close with him lately.

"We first noticed something was up with Bill about a month ago and it was downhill from there. I'm incredibly sad today, but part of me is happy for Bill. He'd reached the end. It wasn't going anywhere. Where he was, he wasn't going to come back. And there was no joy in it. Now we can remember him as he was."

"He was a great man, a great actor and a towering cultural figure. But he was also one of the good guys and nothing impressed me more than how he conducted himself as a human being. Make no mistake, Hunter was a bull of a man, but underneath he was a sweetheart."

Baz Luhrmann, who worked with Hunter on 1992 film Strictly Ballroom, described him as a "remarkable" man.

Hunter will be honoured in a memorial service in Melbourne's Princess Theatre on Thursday.