“Friday Night Dinner” star Paul Ritter has died of a brain tumor at the age of 54.
The actor, who also starred in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the acclaimed television series “Chernobyl” and the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace,” died at home surrounded by his family.
His agent said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night… peacefully at home surrounded by his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah.
“He was 54 and suffering from a brain tumor.
“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor who played a tremendous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill.
“He was incredibly intelligent, kind and very funny.
“We will miss him very much.”
Comedian Rob Delaney was one of many who posted tributes on Twitter, calling Ritter an “incredible talent.”
“Chernobyl was a hit with me. When I saw the film, I consciously thought, ‘Oh, we have a new movie star,'” he wrote.
“Plus how funny he was on Friday Night Dinner… just incredible talent. Rest in peace, Paul Ritter.”
Friday Night Dinner writer Robert Popper called Ritter “the greatest actor I’ve ever worked with.”
Actor Mark Gatiss said he was “sad” to hear of Ritter’s death.
“Paul Ritter. What an actor. What a presence. So shocked and saddened by this terrible news. RIP,” he wrote on Twitter.
Russell Tovey said Ritter was “one of the nicest, best actors you will ever meet.”
“I had the absolute pleasure of doing my first play with him when I was 19. He called me a ‘moron’ when I once hung him on stage because I missed the cue to come on. I never forgot that and never did it again – RIP mate x,” the actor tweeted.
Actor Stephen Mangan wrote: “I’m trying to find a way to talk about Paul Ritter and his problems. My friend since our college days.”
“So much talent and it shone from him even as a teenager.
“I was so lucky to know him and also lucky to work with him many times over the years. A wonderful man. RIP.”
In Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner, Ritter played the silently suffering, often shirtless, hard-of-hearing husband and father Martin Goodman.
His widely acclaimed role as Anatoly Dyatlov, deputy chief engineer of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, led to the five-part miniseries becoming the highest-rated show of all time on global film and television website IMDb – and being hailed as “the greatest drama of all time”.
In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” he played the wizard Eldred Worple.
Other notable roles included Guy Haines in the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace”, in the historical drama “Belgravia”, Billy Cartwright in “Vera” and Sir John Seymour in “Wolf Hall”.
Born in 1966, Knight made his television debut in an episode of The Bill in 1992 and went on to become an acclaimed stage actor, appearing with the National Theatre in The Royal Hunt Of The Sun, All My Sons, Coram Boy, The Hot-House, The Curious World of Christopher Boone and as John Major in The Audience, opposite Dame Helen Mirren in the role of the Queen.
He has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, playing Pistol in the 2012 miniseries The Hollow Crown.
For his role as Reg in the new production of “The Norman Conquests” at the Old Vic, Ritter was nominated for a Tony Award and an Olivier.
Hugh Adams, of the charity Brain Tumour Research, said: “Our deepest condolences go out to Paul’s family and friends following the devastating news that he has died from this terrible disease.”
“About 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumor each year, and unlike most other cancers, cases and deaths from brain tumors are increasing.
“Only 12% of patients diagnosed with a brain tumor survive beyond five years, compared to an average of 50% for all cancers.”
“We are proud to be building a network of experts in sustainable research in dedicated centres of excellence, while encouraging government and major cancer foundations to invest more nationwide so we can move one step closer to finding a cure.”
Ritter is set to appear in the 10th anniversary episode of Friday Night Dinner, which will air on Channel 4 later this year.
