After a long battle with a rare disease, THE MOST WONDERFUL ACTOR dies at age 76.

Actor Paul D’Amato, who was the inspiration for Marvel’s Wolverine, has died. He was 76 years old.

He was famous for his many roles in the US police drama Law & Order.

Family members said he died on Monday after four years of fighting a rare brain disease.

She told The Hollywood Reporter that D’Amato was “the most wonderful, sweetest guy” who fought “so hard.”

In the 1978 epic war drama The Deer Hunter, he played a sergeant opposite Robert De Niro.

But his role as “Dr. Hook” in the ice hockey hit Slap Shot was what made him want to become Wolverine in the X-Men comics.

It was cartoonist John Byrne who said this about D’Amato: “He just had the look.”

“Those crazy eyes of his.” And Wolverine needs that.”

When word got out that D’Amato had died, there were a lot of tributes.

“In memory of Paul D’Amato,” wrote one fan. The best hockey movie of all time, Slap Shot, made him famous as Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken.

“All the best, Dr. Hook. Thank you for making us laugh.”

“RIP, Paul D’Amato,” said someone else. The world will miss you.

Before he died, D’Amato worked as a boot fitter in a ski shop in Vermont.

His sister Andrea and girlfriend Marina Re will miss him.