Chris Willingham dead: X Files star dies as Emmy-winner wife makes heartbreaking statement

Veteran film editor Chris Willingham has died at the age of 74. He worked on the cult television series, The X-Files, and recently cut an episode of Yellowstone in 2019. He won three Emmy Awards for his work as editor of Fox's 24, and also worked on the hit show Millennium.

His Emmy-winning wife, Lynne - who herself worked on Breaking Bad - confirmed his death in an emotional statement, writing: "Chris was an intuitive editor. He was a gifted storyteller. His pacing and choices were incredibly beautiful. You could tell when watching a series if it was his episode. He was just always in the right place at the right time. You can't really teach that. He was funny and smart, and I was so very lucky to have him not only as my wonderful husband but as my creative partner! We were a great team."

According to Deadline, a representative for his family said he died on June 28 of a heart attack at his Los Angeles home. During his 40-year career, Chris started his work with episodes of B.J. and the Bear and The Greatest American Hero.

He is also credited for working on the 1980s NBC action series The A-Team and editing more than 25 episodes, working on all five seasons.

Chris and his wife, Lynne, also worked together on The X-Files and other shows, including the miniseries, Empire. The spy drama 24 was Willingham's biggest gig, and he edited more than 25 episodes of the series.

Fans have been pouring in tributes on social media. One person commented on X about Willingham's death: "This sucks. Dude did some of my favorite episodes of the show (Dunlop Plaza, the limo interrogation, The Drazen prison, the Nina reveal, Jack/Sherry, the first hour of the Cordilla breakout, Tony's return in S4, and Air Force One getting hit)."

A second also chimed in: "More unfortunate sad news. We've lost another member of the Millennium family. Chris has unfortunately passed away. We were lucky to have him be a part of our documentary. Thank you Chris for the talents you shared us all."

A third also echoed: "I'm sad to learn about the passing of editor Chris Willingham. I worked with him on COBRA, a terrible syndicated Stephen J. Cannell action/adventure series."