Friday Night Dinner and Chernobyl actor Paul Ritter has died at the age of 54 after suffering from a brain tumour, his agent has said.

A statement said: “It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night.

“He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side.

“He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.

“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill.

“He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.”

Tributes have started to pour in for the esteemed actor. 

Basingstoke Gazette:

Actor Eddie Marsan wrote on Twitter: “Just out of drama school I saw a production of Three Sisters. A young actor playing Tuzenbach, did the monologue before the duel.

“I’d heard it every week at DS (drama school). But when he did it, I forgot I’d heard it before. He went on to be one of our greatest actors. RIP Paul Ritter."

Actor Rob Delaney paid tribute to Ritter, writing: “Knocked it out of the PARK in Chernobyl. Watching it I consciously thought, ‘Oh, we have a new movie star,'” Delaney wrote on Twitter.

“Between that and how funny he was in Friday Night Dinner… just unreal talent. Rest in peace, Paul Ritter.”

Ritter won the heart of audiences globally for his portrayal of Martin, a Jewish father of two, in Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner.

His extensive career saw him appear in a number of television shows and Hollywood films including Harry Potter.

The Daily Telegraph once described Ritter as "an actor who is surely destined for greatness".

Away from television and film, Ritter could be found on the stage. From 2005 to 2006, he played Otis Gardiner in the original Royal National Theatre production of Helen Edmundson's Coram Boy, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.

He was also nominated for a Tony Award in 2009 for his role in The Norman Conquests.

From 2011 to 2020, Ritter starred as Martin Goodman in the Channel 4 comedy series, Friday Night Dinner.

Ritter died on April 5, 2021, at his home with his family by his side.