'Beloved' Doctor Who and Pride and Prejudice actor dies aged 90
He appeared in a raft of well-known shows, including The Avengers, Doctor Who and Midsomer Murders, as well as having a career on the stage
An 'old school' actor who appeared in a raft of stage and TV productions across a 70-year career has died at the age of 90, his family has announced. In a statement published on Thursday, the family of Christopher Benjamin said he passed away on January 10.
They said: "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, Christopher Benjamin, at the age of 90, on the 10th of January. One of the few remaining 'old school' actors, the had a huge and extensive career spanning seventy years, encompassing theatre, radio, TV and film.
"Beloved by all who knew him, one of his final stage appearances was as Falstaff in The Glove production of The Merry Wives of Windsor 2010, where he led the company and created such a happy sense of Bonhomie for all, that many who were there cite it as the highlight of their career.
"Christopher's love of acting started at Warminster School, where he took part in school productions and excelled at acting, cricket and music, but not much else! He studied at RADA, where he met his wife of 65 years, Anna Fox."
His family said he had been a regular company member in the RSC over the years and would be "fondly remembered for his Bottom". Christopher appeared in TV shows including The Avengers, The Prisoner, Doctor Who and the Forsythe Saga, plus Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders, Pride and Prejudice.
His family added: "He also had a long-running CD audio drama series based on the characters 'Jago and Lightfoot' after starring in Doctor Who from Tom Baker's time. He leaves behind his wife, Anna, his three children Kate, Sebastian and Emilia and his grandchildren Bertie, Madeleine and Sam, and of course his dearly beloved dog, Minnie. His love of gardening, birds, cricket and of course music, art and theatre lives on in them."
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