Ray's publicist confirms the news to TMZ, telling us he died Sunday -- they say they have no further details surrounding his death at this time.

Ray first broke into the world of acting in 1993, appearing in various episodes of TV before landing a role in the 1998 flick, "The Theory of Flight" ... where he played a gigolo tasked with helping Helena Bonham Carter's character lose her virginity.

He went on to appear in a bunch of projects like "The Book of Eli," "Rome," "The Other Guys," and "Kill the Irishman" -- all before landing the role of Volstagg in Marvel's "Thor" in 2011, returning to the series in 2 sequels as the years went on.

"Star Wars" fans remember Ray lending his voice to the character Gar Saxon -- appearing in "Rebels" & "The Clone Wars." He's also playing a separate character in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, premiering later this year.

Apart from that, Ray's been featured in "Divergent," 9 episodes of "Dexter," "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," "Black Sails," and "Crossing Lines." He also played Scott Buxton in the recent Indian hit, "RRR."

Ray was 58.