Actor Paul Ritter, known for his roles in films like "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace," died after a secret battle with a brain tumor, according to his agent. He was 54.
“It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night,” his agent told The Guardian on Tuesday.
“He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side,” the agent said, confirming he had “been suffering from a brain tumor.”
Ritter’s career first began as a stage actor. In 2006, he was nominated for an Olivier award for “Coram Boy” and received a Tony in 2009 for his starring role in “The Norman Conquests.”
Ritter later appeared in a number of high-profile movies. He played wizard Eldred Worple in 2009’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which marked another loss of a much-loved star of the film franchise. Irish actor and singer Richard Harris who played the beloved character Dumbledore passed away in 2002.
In 2009, Ritter also played government adviser Guy Haines in the James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace,” and recently stared in HBO's hit drama series "Chernobyl."
In Britain, the Kent-born actor was best known for the Channel 4 show “Friday Night Dinner.”
Ritter is set to posthumously appear in the Friday Night Dinner 10th-anniversary retrospective, according to The Guardian.
“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill,” his agent told the UK paper.
“He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.”
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