Actor Jack Wild, who shot to fame as the Artful Dodger in 1968 film 'Oliver!', has died after a long battle with oral cancer, aged 53.
Wild, just 16 at the time, was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as the amoral street urchin in Carol Reed's musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist'.
He also starred in late-1960s American TV series, 'HR Pufnstuf', and recorded three albums.
In 1971 he played Finn Dove in the film 'Flight of the Doves' which was filmed in Dublin and the west of Ireland.
But his success at a young age masked a growing struggle with alcoholism, and he subsequently spent almost two decades of his life in what he later called "a drunken haze".
Wild was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and was unable to speak, drink or eat after having surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He had his voice box and tongue removed.
The former child star urged other young actors not to repeat the mistakes that he regretted, writing an open letter to Daniel Radcliffe when he took the role of Harry Potter.
