"It is the most shattering experience of a young man's life when one morning he awakes and quite reasonably says to himself 'I will never play the Dane.' When that moment comes, one's ambition ceases."
Very sad to hear today of the untimely death of the great character actor, Richard Griffiths. Known to millions as Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon Dudley, Griffiths also appeared in many films as well as being the star of the ITV crime series, Pie In The Sky. A consummate actor and a much-loved man, he will be well missed.
And, of course, he is extraordinary as the eccentric, if lascivious, Uncle Monty alongside Paul McGann and Richard E Grant in the wonderful Withnail And I...
Always liked 'Pie in the Sky'. I doubt it would've been half as entertaining without Richard Griffiths. Such a shame.
ReplyDeleteI posted a comment elsewhere which I'll paraphrase here: I was irked to see articles describe him only as "the actor who played Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter films" until I realized that one mark of getting old is hearing that someone famous has died and thinking "What do you mean, he's best known for that?"
ReplyDeleteI suppose, given his weight, it can't really be said to be a surprise. You always suspected he wouldn't live to a ripe old age but it's still sad news to hear of his passing.
ReplyDelete@ Kid
ReplyDeleteI must admit I never watched Pie In The Sky due to a general aversion to ITV's "gardeners / chefs / toilet attendants solve crimes" format. But it was nice that he was the star of his own show for a while.
@Richard
I was impressed with the BBC News coverage of his passing which ran through all the Potter stuff, some of his theatre work... and finished with a lovely scene from Withnail & I. Not a bad tribute, all in all.
@Steve
I know what you mean. Sarah and I often remarked that he seemed to be getting larger and larger over the years. It obviously took its toll. Very sad.