Gunnar Hansen, the actor behind the mask of Leatherface in the classic horror 1974 horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," has died at the age of 68 after losing his battle with cancer, the Associated Press reported.

Hansen died at his Maine home Saturday from pancreatic cancer, his agent Mike Eisenstadt told the AP. He lived and worked in Maine for about 40 years as an actor and writer, and he was working on a new film called "Death House" at the time of his passing.

The actor is best known for his work as Bubba "Leatherface" Sawyer in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," a character that "is one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema," Eisenstadt said.

The Tobe Hooper-directed "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" follows friends who visit their grandfather in the country and find themselves hunted by Leatherface, the chainsaw-wielding killer, and his family of cannibals, according to IMDB. The film has since been remade six times, the more recent was John Luessenhop's 2013 film "Texas Chainsaw 3D."

Gunnar published "Chain Saw Confidential" in 2013, a book compiled of behind-the-scenes details about the making of the classic slasher flick, Us Weekly reported. Many horror film actors and directors took the time to pay tribute to Gunnar and his beloved character on social media.

"Farewell Gunnar Hansen. May you spin with your chainsaw at magic hour forever more," Edgar Wright, director of the 2004 zombie flick "Shaun of the Dead," wrote on Twitter.

"Devastated by the passing of my dear friend Gunnar Hansen," actress Barbara Crampton, who worked with Hansen on "Death House," wrote on Twitter. "He was delightfully scary 2 many and a smart honest and warm person 2 all he knew."

See some Wright and Crampton's tweets below.

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