Paul Ritter, actor of 'Chernobyl' and 'Harry Potter', dies at 54

British actor Paul Ritter, with a broad career in television, film and theater, died on Monday of a brain tumor, his agent confirmed to the British newspaper

.

Known internationally for his roles in series such as

and films such as

or the James Bond installment

Ritter had achieved great popularity in the United Kingdom in recent years by playing the patriarch of the Martin family, protagonists of the comedy

which has been broadcast on Channel 4 since 2011 and which will broadcast a special for the series' 10th anniversary in which the actor also participates.

More information

• What anguish 'Chernobyl', that painful work of art

• The 'liquidators' who cleaned up Chernobyl

In addition to his roles in film and television, Ritter (Kent, United Kingdom) also stood out for his work on stage.

In 2006 he was nominated for an Olivier Award (British Theater Awards) for his performance in

based on a children's novel, and in 2009 he cast the American Tony for the leading role in the comedy

.

“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor who played a huge variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary ability.

He was incredibly smart, kind, and a lot of fun.

We will miss him very much, ”his agent said in a statement.

The actor died at home accompanied by his wife and two children.

Outside the UK, her face became popular on television for her role in the miniseries

, a co-production of HBO and Sky.

that recounted the consequences of the nuclear disaster caused by the accident at the Ukrainian power plant in 1986. The production became a great critical success and its fame spread by word of mouth until it became an unexpected great television phenomenon that rekindled interest in what happened in Chernobyl.

It won 10 Emmy Awards of the 19 to which it was nominated, two Golden Globes and two Bafta, among other awards.

In the series, starring Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson, Ritter played Anatoly Dyatlov, a Soviet nuclear engineer who was the deputy chief of Reactor 4 and the supervisor of the safety test that caused the accident at the plant.

He was sentenced to 10 years of forced labor for his responsibility in the accident.

Although the Soviet authorities maintained that Dyatlov did not follow security protocol, the engineer defended in court that his action was correct.

Unlike most of his peers, he survived several years after the accident and died in 1995 of a heart attack.

Ritter had also participated in great film sagas such as Harry Potter, where he played the magician Eldred Worple in the installment

.

He was also part of the cast in

, the twenty-second James Bond film and the second starring Daniel Craig.

His latest works include appearances in series such as

or

well as the series

, a period drama created by Julian Fellowes (

) that Movistar Series will premiere in May.

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