Tony-award winning actor Richard Griffiths, well known to Harry Potter fans as playing Vernon Dursley in the film series, died after complications following heart surgery this Thursday, the BBC announced on Friday morning. He was 65 years old.
Griffiths' Harry Potter costars Daniel Radcliffe and Warwick Davis were among those to
comment and
commend the actor:
Quote:
His Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe - who also appeared on stage with him in Equus - was among the first to pay tribute, saying: "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. I was proud to know him."
Actor Warwick Davis told BBC News he had the upmost respect for someone with such a great filmography behind them.
"You got a great deal of support (as an actor) for having Richard about.
"He was lovely, he would always make time for his fans, that's what makes a great actor, it's about having a good persona."
Quote:
Radcliffe said Griffiths had supported him at two key points in his career, when he first played the young Harry Potter and later when he made his stage debut in Equus.
"In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease," he said.
"Seven years later we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."
UPDATE: Griffiths' on-screen Harry Potter wife, Fiona Shaw, who played Petunia Dursley, had a few
kind words to say about her costar as well:
Quote:
"He was a philosopher clown," Shaw said by phone from New York. "He was incredibly knowledgeable about history, science, almost everything. He had a huge ambition and was a total delight in what he did. And that's what was clearly communicated to audiences. He dedicated himself to the theater."
Shaw said that Griffiths was "incredibly funny -- sometimes he would hold up shooting on 'Harry Potter' so that he could finish a joke. His mind was a weaving of many different stories."
Among Griffiths' stage and screen performances included
Chariots of Fire,
Superman II and
Gandhi, and his Tony-award-winning
The History Boys. He is survived by wife Heather Gibson, whom he married in 1980.
Please feel free to leave your words of love and condolences in the comments below. Richard Griffiths will indeed be greatly missed.