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

‘Chernobyl’ and ‘Harry Potter’ Versatile British actor Paul Ritter dies at 54 , whose roles ranged from a hapless suburban patriarch in sitcom “Friday Night Dinner” to a Soviet engineer who helps trigger a nuclear catastrophe in “Chernobyl,” has died, his agent mentioned Tuesday. He was 54 and had been affected by a mind tumor.

A well-recognized face to British tv viewers and theatregoers, Ritter performed Martin Goodman, the eccentric father of a London Jewish household, within the acerbic however heat Channel 4 sitcom “Friday Night Dinner.”

He additionally performed ill-fated nuclear engineer Anatoly Dyatlov within the Emmy-winning HBO drama “Chernobyl;” the wizard Eldred Worple in “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince;” and a devious political operative within the James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace.”

Those that labored with Ritter in his most well-known roles rated him extremely. Robert Popper, the creator of “Friday Night Dinner,” mentioned Ritter “was a stunning, fantastic human being. Type, humorous, tremendous caring and the best actor I ever labored with.”

“Chernobyl” screenwriter Craig Mazin mentioned on Twitter that Paul Ritter was “one of the mild, gracious and sensible individuals I’ve ever identified, a lot much less labored with. We misplaced him in the present day, and much too quickly. I want his household and family members peace and luxury as they mourn the passing of this lovely man.”

Paul Ritter was a compelling stage actor, a frequent and memorable solid member in productions at Britain’s Nationwide Theatre, together with “All My Sons,” “Coram Boy” and “The Curious Incident Of The Canine In The Evening-Time.” He additionally appeared in “Artwork” at London’s Outdated Vic and on a West Finish stage as Prime Minister John Main, performing reverse Helen Mirren’s Queen Elizabeth II within the royal drama “The Viewers.”

The actor Paul Ritter was nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for his efficiency in Alan Ayckbourn’s farce “The Norman Conquests” on Broadway.

Actor Russell Tovey mentioned Ritter was “one of many nicest and greatest actors you’ll ever meet.”

Actor-comedian Rob Delaney tweeted that Ritter had “knocked it out of the PARK in Chernobyl. Watching it I consciously thought, ‘Oh, we have now a brand new film star.’ Between that & how humorous he was in Friday Night Dinner… simply unreal expertise.”

Company Markham, Froggatt & Irwin mentioned Paul Ritter died Monday evening “peacefully at dwelling together with his spouse Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his aspect.”

“Paul Ritter was an exceptionally gifted actor enjoying an unlimited number of roles on stage and display screen with extraordinary ability,” the company mentioned. “He was fiercely clever, type and really humorous. We’ll miss him drastically.”

With Additional Input from AP