English actor Paul Ritter dies aged 54

English actor Paul Ritter, who played Eldred Worple in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has passed away at the age of 54.

Paul Ritter was famous for his role dad Martin Goodman in Channel 4 comedy Friday Night Dinner. His roles in Sky drama Chernobyl and James Bond film Quantum of Solace were also prominent.

Paul Ritter died due to a brain tumor. Friday Night Dinner creator Robert Popper expressed condolences, saying he was “a deeply clever, funny, intelligent, kind man”.

“But he also had that rare thing, he had the common touch, so people could just relate to him,” Popper told an international media source. 

 Popper talked more about Ritter said: “He was so quiet and focused before he went on, and then as soon as he went on, all that energy just popped out of him. It was amazing.

“I don’t think he ever did anything wrong… he was very professional and he was a lovely guy.”

 Ritter’s agent said he was “an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill”, describing him as “fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny”.

 Big Talk, the producers of Friday Night Dinner, said in a statement, “He was a brilliant, kind and talented man much loved by everyone lucky enough to know and work with him, and Paul will forever be part of both the Big Talk and Friday Night Dinner families.

“Our thoughts are with his own family at this time and following their wishes we will be making a donation to the Old Vic Impact Fund.”