Richard Griffiths has died aged 65, we’re sad to report.
According to a report by the Guardian , he died following complications after heart surgery.
Known equally as well for his film and TV roles as he was for his stage work, he’ll probably be best remembered for Withnail & I and the Harry Potter series, in which he played unconventional uncles.
In the former he was Withnail’s Uncle Monty, and he took an enthusiastic shine to his nephew’s housemate. In the latter, he was Uncle Vernon, the adoptive father figure who made home-life hell for the boy wizard.
Among Griffiths’ other notable roles were teacher Hector in The History Boys (on stage and screen), a dual role in The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell Of Fear and the lead in TV series, Pie In The Sky .
Potter star Daniel Radcliffe (who also appeared alongside Griffiths in Equus ) paid tribute, saying that “any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence.” Richard E. Grant took to Twitter to share a farewell message:
My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend. March 29, 2013
Griffiths continued to work on high-profile films, appearing in Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Hugo in 2011.
Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
