Paul Ritter, who appeared in the “Harry Potter” films and also played a key role in HBO’s nuclear disaster drama “Chernobyl”, is dead at 54 after suffering from a brain tumor.
On Tuesday, Markham, Froggatt & Irwin confirmed that Ritter died Monday night “peacefully at home with his wife Polly and children Frank and Noah by his side”.
A familiar face for British viewers and theater viewers, Ritter played Martin Goodman, the eccentric father of a London Jewish family, on Channel 4’s sitcom “Friday Night Dinner”.
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Actor Paul Ritter died after suffering a brain tumor at age 54.
(Dave J Hogan / Getty Images)
He also played the ill-fated nuclear engineer Anatoly Dyatlov in the HBO drama “Chernobyl”; the wizard Eldred Worple in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”; and appeared as a devious political agent in the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace”.
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In addition to his work on the screen, Ritter also had an impressive career in theater. He was a regular cast member in productions at Britain’s National Theater, and his stage roles also included “Art” at London’s Old Vic and Prime Minister John Major in the royal drama “The Audience”. He was nominated for Tony in 2009 for his role in Alan Ayckbourn’s farce “The Norman Conquests” on Broadway.
“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor, playing a huge variety of roles on stage and on screen with extraordinary skill,” said the agency. “He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him very much.”
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In a statement provided to the BBC, Big Talk, the producers of “Friday Night Dinner” said: “He was a brilliant, kind and talented man, much loved by everyone who was lucky enough to meet and work with him, and Paul will forever be part of the Big Talk and Friday Night Dinner families.
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“Our thoughts are with your own family right now and, following your wishes, we will be making a donation to the Old Vic Impact Fund.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.