Actor
Richard Griffiths, who starred in the Harry Potter movies and Withnail
and I, has died at the age of 65 after complications following heart
surgery.
Griffiths enjoyed a long career of success on film and on TV, but also on the stage where he was a Tony-winning character actor.
He was best known for playing Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films and Uncle Monty in Withnail and I.
TV roles included playing a cookery-loving detective in Pie in the Sky.
And on stage, his most acclaimed performance was as the
charismatic teacher Hector in Alan Bennett's The History Boys, a role he
recreated in the 2006 film version.
He was appointed an OBE in the 2008 New Year Honours.
He was born in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, and left
school at 15 but later returned to education to study drama, before
joining the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He married Heather Gibson in 1980 after they met during a production of Lady Windermere's Fan in 1973.
His early TV career saw him land bit parts in series such as
Minder, The Sweeney and Bergerac, while he also played small parts in
major movies such as Chariots of Fire, Superman II and Gandhi
Richard Griffiths starred on stage with Daniel Radcliffe in Equus.
But it was his role as the predatory Uncle Monty in Withnail
And I - which has become of one of the biggest cult classics in British
cinema history - which made him a fan favourite.
His Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe - who also appeared
on stage with him in Equus - was among the first to pay tribute,
saying: "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments
of my career. I was proud to know him."
Sir Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, said Griffiths's unexpected death would devastate his "army of friends".
He said: "Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved
and recognisable British actors - he was also one of the very greatest.
"His performance in The History Boys was quite overwhelming: a
masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often
simultaneously.
"His anecdotes were legendary. They were, literally, endless.
They would go on for hours, apparently without destination, constantly
side-splitting."
Actor Warwick Davis told BBC News he had the upmost respect for someone with such a great filmography behind them.
"You got a great deal of support (as an actor) for having Richard about.
"He was lovely, he would always make time for his fans, that's what makes a great actor, it's about having a good persona."
His agent Simon Beresford described him as a "remarkable man".
He said: "On stage he allowed us to share in our own humanity and constantly question our differences.
"Richard gave acting a good name. He was a remarkable man and
one of our greatest and best-loved actors. He will be greatly missed."Source: BBC News
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