Paul Ritter: Harry Potter, Friday Night Dinner and Chernobyl actor dies of brain tumour

Friday Night Dinner and Chernobyl actor Paul Ritter has died at the age of 54, his agent has said.
Paul Ritter played Martin in Friday Night Dinner.Paul Ritter played Martin in Friday Night Dinner.
Paul Ritter played Martin in Friday Night Dinner.

The TV star had been suffering from a brain tumour.

A statement said: "It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night.

"He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side.

"He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.

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"Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill.

"He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly."

The actor was best known for his role as family patriarch Martin Goodman in Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner, in which he starred alongside Tamsin Greig and Simon Bird.

His weekly antics as the unusual father of the family made the character a favourite among the show’s fans.

He also played Anatoly Dyatlov in the acclaimed drama Chernobyl and Eldred Worple in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.

Other notable roles were as Guy Haines in James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, in period drama Belgravia, as Billy Cartwright in Vera and Sir John Seymour in Wolf Hall.

Actor Rob Delaney paid tribute to Ritter.

"Knocked it out of the PARK in Chernobyl. Watching it I consciously thought, 'Oh, we have a new movie star,'" Delaney wrote on Twitter.

"Between that and how funny he was in Friday Night Dinner... just unreal talent. Rest in peace, Paul Ritter."

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