Gunnar Hansen, who played the iconic villain Leatherface in the original “Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” died Saturday of pancreatic cancer at his home in Northeast Harbor, his agent said. He was 68.

Hansen starred in the 1974 film that has become a classic among horror-movie aficionados and spawned a series of sequels. In the movie, friends visiting their grandfather’s house are hunted by Leatherface, a chain-saw wielding maniac.

Hansen’s character in the movie “is one of the most iconic evil figures in the history of cinema,” said his agent, Mike Eisenstadt, who confirmed the death.

In 2013, Hansen published his book “Chain Saw Confidential,” which gave readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made, Eisenstadt said.

Hansen lived in Maine for about 40 years, where he worked as an actor and writer. He made frequent appearances at comic book conventions and film festivals in Maine and around the country.

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, the 6-foot-4, 280-pound actor first moved to Maine at age 5. He lived in Searsport before his family moved to Texas when he was 11.

His famous film role came in 1973 when he was a graduate student at the University of Texas, where he was studying English and American Studies. Working as a carpenter for the summer, Hansen heard that an independent filmmaker was looking for an actor to fill a role in a horror movie being shot outside of Austin. Hansen, who had tried acting in college, decided to try for the part, he told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.

The role of Leatherface didn’t leave Hansen much to work with since Leatherface never speaks and his face is hidden by a mask. He was paid $800 for four weeks of filming, putting in seven days a week, and up to 16 hours a day. The movie, which cost $240,000, has grossed roughly $100 million since it was released.

Hansen moved back to Maine in 1975 and worked as a free-lance writer. He wrote a novel and books about local history and poetry. His best-known is “Islands at the Edge of Time,” an account of the barrier islands from North Carolina to Texas. He wrote scripts for documentary films about Maine.

At the time of his death, Hansen was at work on a film called “Death House,” his agent said. Hansen was a writer and producer of the film, which the Internet Movie Database says is about how a secret government facility becomes ground zero for the most horrific prison break in the history of mankind. The film is scheduled to come out next year, Eisenstadt said.

Surviving Hansen is his partner of 13 years, Betty Tower.