‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Chernobyl’ actor Paul Ritter dies at 54

British actor Paul Ritter, whose credits include the HBO / Sky drama “Chernobyl” and the Channel 4 comedy “Friday Night Dinner”, died of a brain tumor. He was 54 years old.

“It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night,” said the Ritter agent. “He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and children Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 years old and suffered from a brain tumor.

“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor, playing a huge variety of roles on stage and on screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him very much.”

Ritter’s credits also included the James Bond films “Quantum of Solace”, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and the “Belgravia” and “Cold Feet” series. He will be seen in John Madden’s war drama, Operation Mincemeat, starring Colin Firth. Ritter will also be part of the 10th anniversary retrospective of the “Friday Night Dinner”, which is due to air on Channel 4 later this year.

Ritter was also known for his roles in the theater and was nominated for an Olivier in 2006 for “Coram Boy”, as well as a Tony in 2009 for the 2008 production of “The Norman Conquests”.

Robert Popper, creator of “Friday Night Dinner” tweeted: “Devastated by this terribly sad news. Paul was a lovely and wonderful human being. Kind, funny, super attentive and the best actor I have ever worked with.”

Actor Sanjeev Kohli tweeted: “Paul Ritter was one of the most versatile and brilliant actors to ever breathe. If Paul Ritter was in something, it was good. This is horrendous news.”

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