Actor Geoffrey Palmer has died aged 93.
The star’s agent confirmed that he died peacefully at home.
Palmer was best known for his roles in Butterflies, The Fall of Rise of Reginald Perrin and As Time Goes By, which he starred in opposite Dame Judi Dench.
The BBC sitcom, which followed two former lovers who meet unexpectedly and later married, ran for nine series and three specials between 1992 and 2005.
Palmer played Lionel Hardcastle in the BBC One show opposite Dame Judi’s Jean.
The stars revived their partnership in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, and also starred together in Mrs Brown.
On the big screen, Palmer appeared in films including A Fish Called Wanda, The Madness Of King George, Peter Pan and Paddington, which marked his last role.
And the prolific actor appeared in TV shows including The Avengers, Inspector Morse, and Ashes To Ashes, as well as narrating shows like Grumpy Old Men.
His distinctive voice also gave him a career in advertising, and famously popularised the phrase ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in the Audi adverts.
In 2004, Palmer was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OVE) for services to drama.
Palmer is survived by his wife Sally Greene, and their children Harriet and Charles.
More to follow…
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