Friday Night Dinner star Paul Ritter has died of a brain tumour at the age of 54, his agent has announced.
The actor, who played dad Martin in the beloved Channel 4 sitcom opposite Tamsin Greig, Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal, passed away with his family at his side on Monday night.
News that he was unwell was not widely known until the announcement of his death.
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.
"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."
Ritter was also known for roles in No Offence, Quantum of Solace, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Chernobyl and for his stage work he received nominations at the Tony Awards and the Oliviers.
Later this year he will be seen in a Friday Night Dinner retrospective programme to mark the show's 10th anniversary, while he had also completed a part in the upcoming Netflix war movie Operation Mincemeat prior to his death.
Follow us on Twitter @SMEntsFeed and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.
