The Tragic Death Of Paul Ritter
British actor Paul Ritter has died. Ritter, who was 54, had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and was at home with his family at the time, according to The Guardian. He died on April 5, 2021, and is survived by a wife and two sons.
"It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night," Ritter's agent said in a statement, explaining the details of the actor's death. "He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side."
Ritter's acting in series like HBO's Chernobyl and PBS' The Hollow Crown introduced him to international audiences, per The Guardian. He also appeared in the sixth Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and even shared a screen with James Bond in Quantum of Solace. The character actor had an equally impressive career on the stage, including a Tony nomination in 2009 for his starring role in the play The Norman Conquests.
But Ritter was most well known in Britain for the sitcom Friday Night Dinner, in which he played the eccentric father of a Jewish family living in London.
Tributes to Paul Ritter poured in from fellow actors and celebrities
When Paul Ritter's death was announced on April 6, 2021, fans and friends took to social media in order to share their grief with the world.
"Devastated at this terribly sad news," tweeted Robert Popper, who created the sitcom that made Ritter a beloved star. "Paul was a lovely, wonderful human being. Kind, funny, super caring and the greatest actor I ever worked with." Popper based Ritter's Friday Night Dinner character on his own father, according to the BBC, who also frequently walked around without a shirt.
Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan paid tribute to the actor on her Twitter, writing, "So, so sad to hear this. I was such a fan of Paul Ritter he was absolutely magic, RIP." The actor Russell Tovey shared a sweet anecdote, tweeting that when he worked with Ritter, "one of the nicest and best actors you'll ever meet," in his first ever play, the actor called Tovey a "plonker" for missing a cue. Comedian Rob Delaney wrote Ritter had "unreal talent," praising his ability to excel in both comedy and drama.
In January 2021, it was announced that Friday Night Dinner's upcoming 10th anniversary would be celebrated with a 90-minute documentary, You Look Nice: The True Story of Friday Night Dinner. Per Radio Times, it will feature footage of Ritter talking about his experiences creating a staple of British comedy, as well as interviews with the rest of the cast and some celebrity fans.