Zorro villain Britt Lomond died of kidney failure at a Huntington Beach, Calif., nursing home. He was 80. The actor, who played Captain Monastario in the hit 1950s TV series, also appeared on hit western show Rawhide. A postage stamp depicting Lomond as Monastario was issued by the Netherlands in 2004, the same year as the release of his memoir, "Chasing After Zorro."

Away from his celebrity life, Lomond served as a paratrooper in World War II and was awarded three Purple Hearts and both the Silver and Bronze Stars. After the war he moved to Hollywood to realise a dream of becoming an illustrator, but his dastardly looks and fencing skills led him to work in films. He once doubled for screen icon Mel Ferrer in stunt scenes in 1952's Scaramouche.

His impressive resume also included turns behind the camera - he directed Bing Crosby TV specials and episodes of The Waltons and Falcon Crest, among others.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)