Popular Mexican Actor Pedro Armendariz Jr. Dies at 71

Mexico City -- Pedro Armendariz Jr., one of Mexico's beloved and prolific actors, has died at the age of 71 after a bout with cancer.

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During a career that spanned six decades, the charismatic actor appeared in more than 200 TV shows and films, including Hollywood productions such as The Legend of Zorro, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and the Brad Pitt-starrer The Mexican. He also played a role in the upcoming release of Casa de mi Padre alongside Will Ferrell and longtime Mexican friends, actors Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna.

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"Pedro is one of those (people) who made you smile just seeing them," Luna tweeted on Monday. 

News of his death spread quickly over the Internet after Televisa news anchor Joaquin Lopez Doriga announced via Twitter that Armendariz had passed away in a New York hospital while seeking cancer treatment there. 

Son of actor Pedro Armendariz, who worked with big-name talent like John Wayne and Sean Connery, Armendariz Jr.  maintained a busy acting career while presiding over the Mexican film academy from 2006 to 2010.