“Jewel in the Crown” actor Tim Pigott-Smith dies at 70
Tim Pigott-Smith, a versatile British actor who recently played Prince Charles on stage and screen, has died at the age of 70.
The actor’s agent, John Grant, said Pigott-Smith died Friday. A cause of death wasn’t given.
Grant called him “one of the great actors of his generation ... a gentleman and a true friend.”
Pigott-Smith was already a veteran of stage and screen when he came to international attention as a sadistic police officer in British-controlled India in the 1980s miniseries “The Jewel in the Crown.”
The show became a global sensation, and Pigott-Smith said it “changed my life.”
Born in Rugby, central England, on May 13, 1946, Pigott-Smith trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and built up a diverse career on stage, television and film.
Pigott-Smith became a regular on British TV screens in everything from “Doctor Who” to “Downton Abbey” and had roles in movies including “V for Vendetta,” “Gangs of New York” and the James Bond thriller “Quantum of Solace.”
He is due to appear on screen with Judi Dench in Stephen Frears’ historical drama “Victoria and Abdul,” set for release in Britain in September.
He recently won Olivier and Tony award nominations for the London and New York runs of the play “King Charles III,” which imagines disastrous events after the current heir to the British throne becomes king. He reprised the role for a TV adaptation.
Pigott-Smith was set to play Willy Loman in a touring production of “Death of a Salesman,” playing opposite his wife, Pamela Miles, a noted actress. The play was set to open April 10 in Northampton, England.
Pigott-Smith is survived by his wife and their son Tom.
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