British actor Richard Griffiths, who played Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, has passed away at the age of 65.
Griffiths died in England on Friday from complications following heart surgery.
One of the most beloved actors in the London theater, Griffiths won critical acclaim for his stage performance in “The History Boys,” including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
Danny DeVito, who starred alongside Griffiths in last year’s London revival of Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys,” said in a phone interview that “it was a gift for me to know him. I’m so sad. It was the most positive kind of fun. We clicked from the very moment we met when we did ‘Sunshine.’ We had such fun on stage.”
photo: WENN