James Nesbitt has left the set of The Hobbit and dashed home to Northern Ireland to mourn the death of his mother.
The Daily Mail reported Nesbitt, who has been based in Wellington while filming Peter Jackson's two upcoming Hobbit films, had rushed home to be with his family.
A statement released by Nesbitt said: "Mum passed away on Friday night and the whole family is devastated by the news."
His mother May was aged 79 and had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.
In a 2010 interview, Nesbitt said his mother's condition had declined.
