Tippi Hedren starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film The Birds alongside critically acclaimed actor Rod Taylor. Taylor died on Wednesday evening of a heart attack. He was 84.

In addition to The Birds, Rod Taylor starred in more than 50 Hollywood films throughout his career. In addition to starring with Tippi Hedren, he appeared on the big screen opposite a number of other Hollywood icons, including Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Jane Fonda.

In a statement to People magazine, Tippi Hedren made it quite clear that Rod Taylor was more than just a costar. He was her dear friend.

Australian actor Rod Taylor – best known for role in The Birds – has died aged 84: US reports http://t.co/DTxqqSgj3c pic.twitter.com/jFUWYzHC9R

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 9, 2015

“There are so many incredible feelings I have for him. Rod was a great pal to me and a real strength, we were very, very good friends,” Hedren, who is 84, said.

“He was one of the most fun people I have ever met, thoughtful and classy, there was everything good in that man,” she added.

Rod Taylor’s family is mourning their loss. He was married to wife Carol for 35 years. He is also survived by his daughter Felicia.

“My dad loved his work. Being an actor was his passion–calling it an honorable art and something he couldn’t live without,” she told People. “He once said, ‘I am a poor student sitting at the feet of giants, yearning for their wisdom and begging for lessons that might one day make me a complete artist, so that if all goes well, I may one day sit beside them.’”

Tippi Hedren, the mother of actress Melanie Griffith, is no doubt just one of many in Hollywood who join Rod Taylor’s family in mourning his passing.