Stage and screen star Paul Ritter, the character actor perhaps best known for his work in the U.K. TV series Friday Night Dinner, passed away April 5 at the age of 54 from a brain tumor.
Paul Ritter was born March 5, 1966 in Kent, England.
A versatile stage actor, Mr. Ritter worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and performed at London’s National Theatre. Among his many theatrical credits were roles in The Royal Hunt of the Sun, All My Sons, The Hot-House, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Audience, Troilus and Cressida, and The White Devil. He was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2006 for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his work in Coram Boy.
Mr. Ritter made his Broadway debut in 2009 in the revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s three-part The Norman Conquests. The production, which won the 2009 Tony for Best Revival of a Play, earned the actor a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
From 2011 through 2020, Mr. Ritter played the role of Martin, the family patriarch, in the British TV series Friday Night Dinner, which also starred Simon Bird, Tamsin Greig, and Tom Rosenthal. His other TV credits included Belgravia, Cold Feet, The Trial of Christine Keeler, The Capture, Chernobyl, Resistance, No Offense, Hang Ups, Lovesick, Electric Dreams, Vera, The Hollow Crown, Midsomer Murders, Great Expectations, Without You, Land Girls, and Hidden.
Harry Potter fans know Mr. Ritter from his role as Eldred Worple in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He was also seen on the silver screen in On a Clear Day, The Girl in the Café, Hannibal Rising, Quantum of Solace, Nowhere Boy, Inferno, Their Finest, The Limehouse Golem, and The Audience.
In a statement to The Guardian, Mr. Ritter’s agent said, "Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.”
Mr. Ritter his survived by his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah.
