British actor and comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65, his family has confirmed
British actor and comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65, his family has confirmed.
Slattery was known and loved for his quick-witted improvisations on the popular Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, from 1988 onwards.
The Londoner also played comedic and serious roles in films such as The Crying Game, Peter's Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.
He earned an Olivier Award nomination for best comedy performance for his role as Gordon in Tim Firth's play Neville's Island.
A statement on behalf of his partner Mark Michael Hutchinson said: "It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening."
Born into a working class family in North London in 1959, Slattery won a scholarship to study medieval and modern languages at Cambridge University.
It was from here that he entered the world of showbiz, meeting a young Sir Stephen Fry who invited him to join the Cambridge Footlights - the university's famous amateur dramatics club.
From then on, Slattery once said: "Getting up on stage and hearing laughter took over."
He was also the contemporary of Dame Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie.
In 1981, their group won the inaugural Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival, for their production of The Cellar Tapes.
And the following year, Slattery was named Footlights' President, following in the footsteps of Eric Idle, Clive Anderson and Peter Cook.
Slattery appeared on the London club circuit doing "kind of a variety act with bizarre turns" as he put it.
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