Actor Rod Taylor has died at the age of 84.

The Australian was best known for starring in the 1960 movie The Time Machine and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

His daughter Felicia told People that Rod died of natural causes on Wednesday (January 7).

"My dad loved his work," she said. "Being an actor was his passion - calling it an honourable art and something he couldn't live without.

"He once said, 'I am a poor student sitting at the feet of giants, yearning for their wisdom and begging for lessons that might one day make me a complete artist, so that if all goes well, I may one day sit beside them'."


The actor made his debut as Herbert George Wells in George Pal's adaptation of The Time Machine, before starring alongside Tippi Hedren in the role of Mitch Brenner in 1963's The Birds.

Later in his six-decade long career, Rod appeared in The VIPs, Sunday in New York, The Glass Bottom Boat, 36 Hours Zabriskie Point and Young Cassidy.

He also voiced Pongo in Disney's 101 Dalmatians and most recently played Winston Churchill in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Rod is survived by his daughter and his wife, Carol.

Saw some behind the scenes footage and documentaries of him about the Birds film. He seemed a really happy guy. Shame.

RIP.