According to THR, British character actor Tim Pigott-Smith passed away today at age 70. The cause of his death has not been revealed at this time.
Pigott-Smith was born on May 13, 1946 in Rugby, Warwickshire. He attended the University of Bristol, and occasionally lectured there throughout his life. Pigott-Smith’s career began on the stage, and he made numerous appearances both on the West End and on Broadway. Several times during his career Pigott-Smith played the same roles both on stage and screen, including in the Shakespeare classics Measure for Measure and Henry IV Part I.
In 1971, Pigott-Smith guest starred on two episodes of Doctor Who opposite Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. Five years later he returned to the show playing a new character for a four episode run called “The Masque of Mandragora”, this time with Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. He continued to appear on various series throughout the ’70s and early ’80s. He was only in a handful of films during the first decade of his career, including The Clash of the Titans in 1981.
It was in 1984 that Pigott-Smith first had a taste of fame, for his role in the miniseries The Jewel in the Crown as a cruel police officer. According to Pigott-Smith, the role “changed my life.” His performance was so acclaimed that he continued to play villains throughout the rest of his career.
Pigott-Smith was also a frequent television documentary narrator, providing his voice for the entire Battlefield series which covered several battles from World War II. He also narrated Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work. This was not the only time his career dealt with the royal family, in his later years Pigott-Smith played Prince Charles both on stage - in England and on Broadway - and the TV movie King Charles III.
Continuing to appear on TV throughout his career, Piegott-Smith was recently seen in the miniseries Houdini and guest starred on Downton Abbey and Inspector Lewis. In 2004, he played Richard Hale in the miniseries adaption of the book North by South. His character is the father of Fredrick Hale, the role he played in an earlier miniseries adapted from the same book.
While Pigott-Smith’s career was mostly on TV and in the theater, he did appear in a number of films, especially over the last fifteen years. His film credits include Gangs of New York, Alexander, V for Vendetta, Quantum of Solace, RED 2, and Jupiter Ascending. He can be seen in the upcoming film Victoria and Abdul opposite Dame Judi Dench.
Pigott-Smith is survived by his wife Pamela Miles and son Tom - a concert violinist.
R.I.P. Tim Pigott-Smith - May 13, 1946 - April 7, 2017
Source: THR
