'I miss you Dad': Dai Henwood posts emotional tribute to his late father

Ray and Dai Henwood.
Ray Henwood died aged 82 on Monday. Photo credit: Dai Henwood/Instagram

New Zealand comedian Dai Henwood has shared a heartwarming tribute to his late father, Kiwi actor Ray Henwood, who died aged 82 on Monday.

Henwood posted on social media, saying a few words about his dad, who appeared in films such as Heavenly Creatures in 1994 and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. 

"I miss you Dad, you were proud of me and that mattered a lot," Henwood wrote on Instagram on Monday evening.

"Thanks for everything you know or might not know you did. You passed away early this morning and it hurt.

"Mum, Jo, Charlie, Lucy and I love you to the stars where you belong.

"Kua hinga te tōtara i te wao nui a Tāne (a mighty tōtara has fallen in the forest of Tāne Mahuta)." 

Henwood, a veteran of the New Zealand theatre scene, received a New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen for his services to film and theatre in 2006.

Henwood's acting career saw him portray a number of historical figures, including Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.

A number of Kiwi actors have paid tribute to Henwood following the confirmation of his death on Monday morning, including Shortland Street actor Toni Potter and Jennifer Ward-Lealand.

"Haere atu rā Ray Henwood," Ward-Lealand posted to Twitter.

"One of Aotearoa's great actors has taken his final curtain call."

Newshub.