Two-time Academy Award winning actor Anthony Quinn died on Sunday in a Boston hospital, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 86.

Quinn, a spiky character actor who appeared in more than 100 movies, was perhaps best known for his title role in 1964's Zorba The Greek, a performance he claimed was his personal favourite. However, his two Best Supporting Actor Oscars came courtesy of 1952's Viva Zapata, directed by Elia Kazan, and Vincente Minnelli's 1956 Lust For Life, in which he played French painter Paul Gauguin.

Quinn got his first break from Mae West in the stage play Clean Beds, which she financed and produced. His first movie role was a 45-second turn in 1936's Parole. He went on to appear in such classics as Lawrence Of Arabia, Guns Of Navarone and Fellini's La Strada. Recent appearances included Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, Last Action Hero and A Walk In The Clouds.