Vittorio Pirbazari, 44, known for his villain role in Dogs of Berlin, passed away on Monday with fellow actor and filmmaker Said Ibrahim taking to Instagram to confirm the tragic news.

Ibrahim announced the death of his friend, writing: ‘Vito had a soft heart like a ten-year-old’. According to the actor, Pirbazari may have suffered a heart attack while on the treadmill but this is yet to be confirmed.

In January, the Netflix star uploaded a series of selfies from a hospital after undergoing surgery. He explained his right pectoral muscle had been torn and surgically reattached.

He took his 90,700 Instagram followers on his healing journey, but before his death, a near-fatal car accident set him back.

Pirbazari miraculously survived the ordeal, but suffered a fractured vertebra, tissue damage, and both of his legs required stitches.

Following a 12-week break from the gym after his accident, he decided to return on March 23. Then on Sunday, March 30, one day before he died, he posted what would become his last selfie.

He wrote beneath the image: ‘My current form after 12 weeks without exercise or much exercise. Of course, it’s no comparison to before, but I’m on the right track given the circumstances’.