Bruno Ganz, who played Hitler in Downfall dies aged 77

Bruno Ganz, who played Hitler in the 2004 film Downfall, has died aged 77.

The Swiss actor was diagnosed with colon cancer last year and died at his home in Zurich on Friday, his management confirmed.

Scenes from the hit film have been made into numerous YouTube parodies

BBC reports that Ganz was well-known in German-language cinema and theatre and also had roles in English-language films including The Reader and The Manchurian Candidate.

His most famous role, however, was as Adolf Hitler in Downfall. One particular scene depicting Hitler in apoplectic fury became a meme and spawned thousands of parodies online.