29/03/2013 - Richard Griffiths, the award-winning actor famous for his roles in Withnail & I and Harry Potter, has died following complications after heart surgery.

British cinema lost a beloved thespian on Friday. Richard Griffiths, 65, passed away after complications ensuing from a heart surgery. Griffiths began his career on BBC Radio and then trod the boards in several plays with the Royal Shakespeare Company including Falstaff and The Merry Wives Of Windsor. The mid to late 70s saw Griffiths make a mark in television.

Soon, Griffiths began to be noticed in major films like Chariots Of Fire, The French Lieutenant’s Woman and Gandhi. The film breakthrough came when Griffiths played the role of Anton in Gorky Park and global fame was his for his portrayal of Uncle Monty in cult British hit Withnail And I. In the latter part of his career, Griffiths made the role of Uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter movies his own.

Griffiths played the role of the teacher Hector in the play and later, film, The History Boys. For the play, he won the Laurence Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Desk awards for Best Actor. For the film, he was nominated for a Best Actor BAFTA. In 2008, Griffiths was conferred the OBE for services to drama.

Daniel Radcliffe, Griffiths’ co-star in Harry Potter and the play Equus, said in his encomium, “In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys’, which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease. Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him.”

His spouse Heather Gibson survives Griffiths.