Tamsin Greig has paid a heartfelt tribute to her Friday Night Dinner co-star Paul Ritter, following his death from a brain tumour on Monday, aged 54.
The actress, 56, who played his on screen wife in the Channel 4 sitcom, praised his ‘enormous courage and effort’ for filming in a drama alongside her just weeks before he died.
In a poignant piece for the Guardian, Tamsin also described her pal as ‘heart-stoppingly hilarious’, before declaring that ‘the world is a less brilliant place without Paul in it.’
Tribute: Tamsin Greig has paid a heartfelt tribute to her Friday Night Dinner co-star Paul Ritter, following his death from a brain tumour on Monday, aged 54 (pictured in Friday Night Dinner)
The two acted alongside each other for nine years as husband and wife Jackie and Martin Goodman in Friday Night Dinner.
And Tamsin told how she was ‘honoured’ that Paul was prepared to film alongside her again in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Anne Youngson’s novel Meet Me at the Museum, despite him being ‘so ill’.
She explained: ‘It took enormous courage and effort for him to record the drama remotely from his home when he was so ill, and I am honoured that he so willingly agreed to do it. It is a fine legacy and tribute to his artistry, and a gift of time and experience that I will treasure.’
Praise: The actress, 56, who played his on screen wife in the Channel 4 sitcom, praised his ‘enormous courage and effort’ for filming in a drama alongside her just weeks before he died (pictured in 2019)
The actress also shared that it was because of Paul, who first mesmerised her on stage on stage in Alan Ayckbourn’s Norman Conquests trilogy in 2008, that she agreed to star in Friday Night Dinner.
She said: ‘When I was told that they wanted him to play Martin Goodman in the pilot episode of Friday Night Dinner, I said, “You get him and I’m in.” Not only did Paul deliver in the role, he far surpassed everyone’s expectations – surprising, versatile, oddball, rooted in the clearest truth and always utterly, heart-stoppingly hilarious.’
Paying tribute to the Chernobyl and Harry Potter star, Tamsin remarked that she was ‘eternally grateful’ their paths had crossed, before hailing his ‘kindness’, ‘attention to detail’ and his ‘devotion’ to his family and friends.
Moving: In a poignant piece for the Guardian, Tamsin also described her pal as ‘heart-stoppingly hilarious’, before declaring that ‘the world is a less brilliant place without Paul in it’ (pictured in 2020)
Tamsin added: ‘The world is a less brilliant place without Paul in it. Go lightly, my friend. You are deeply beloved.’
Paul, who passed away at home with wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah at his bedside, was best known to thousands of TV viewers as the affable father Martin Goodman in the Channel 4 sit-com, alongside Tamsin, Simon Bird and Tom Rosenthal.
His chilling turn in HBO drama Chernobyl saw him as one of the Ukrainian disaster’s villains, deputy chief engineer Anatoly Dyatlov, a world away from the light-hearted patriarch.
The two roles encapsulated an actor who was today widely praised for his huge range and versatility on stage and screen, balancing comedy roles with heavyweight parts in critically-acclaimed dramas.
Honoured: Tamsin told how she was ‘honoured’ that Paul was prepared to film alongside her again in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Anne Youngson’s novel Meet Me at the Museum, despite him being ‘so ill’ (pictured in 2020)
Courage: ‘It took enormous courage and effort for him to record the drama remotely from his home when he was so ill, and I am honoured that he so willingly agreed to do it’
He was in films including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Quantum of Solace, as well as the lauded mini-series about the Ukranian nuclear power station meltdown.
His final role in WWII film Operation Mincemeat as Bentley Purchase is understood to have been completed but has not yet been released.
Figures from the world of acting paid tribute to the star, with veteran performer Eddie Marsan calling him ‘one of our greatest actors’, while Rob Delaney said one of his recent roles made him think ‘we have a new movie star’.
Former Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis called him ‘a wonderful and versatile actor’, while Alexander Roach, who acted with him in No Offence said ‘It was such a joy. One of our very best actors.’
TV star: The actress also shared that it was because of Paul, who first mesmerised her on stage on stage in Alan Ayckbourn’s Norman Conquests trilogy in 2008, that she agreed to star in Friday Night Dinner (pictured with onscreen sons Tom Rosentha and Simon Bird)
Deal: ‘When I was told that they wanted him to play Martin Goodman in the pilot episode of Friday Night Dinner, I said, “You get him and I’m in”
Stephen Mangan added: ‘Trying to find a way to talk about Paul Ritter and struggling.
‘My friend since we were students together. So much talent and it shone from him even as a teenager. I was so lucky to know him and lucky too to work with him many times over the years. Wonderful man. RIP.’
Robert Popper, the writer and creator of Friday Night Dinner paid tribute to Paul Ritter and described him as ‘a lovely, lovely guy.’
He broke down as he told the BBC’s Nihal Arthanayake on Radio 5 Live: ‘No-one ever had a bad word to say about him. He was the greatest actor I have ever worked with.
Heartfelt: Tamsin added: ‘The world is a less brilliant place without Paul in it. Go lightly, my friend. You are deeply beloved’
‘But he was just so down to earth. This is a horrible and very sad day.’
A spokesman for the actor said of his passing: ‘It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away on Monday 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.’
Rest in peace: Paul passed away at home on Monday with wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah at his bedside (pictured in 2019)