The death of stage and screen veteran Richard Griffiths was announced today; he died from heart surgery complications. He established himself as a theatre actor in the seventies, then began to take small roles in television and film - Breaking Glass, Superman II, Chariots of Fire - whereupon his talents as a memorable character actor brought him higher profile roles, beginning with technothriller series Bird of Prey in the early eighties.
Roles in Ghandi, Gorky Park, Greystoke, A Private Function and Shanghai Surprise followed, as did more stage success, but in 1986 his cult favourite role in Withnail & I cemented his place in the hearts of countless movie fans, his Uncle Monty a great performance and on the receiving end of a classic insult (unrepeatable in polite company). International recognition was next, with The Naked Gun 2½, Funny Bones, Sleepy Hollow and the Harry Potter movies sustaining his reputation, as did his TV series Pie in the Sky and celebrated stage work in The History Boys and Equus.
