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Tony Slattery, the comedian and actor best known for his improvizations on hit comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, died today following a heart attack two days’ ago. He was 65.
Slattery’s family confirmed his death to the BBC. A statement on behalf of his partner Mark Michael Hutchinson said: “It is with great sadness we must announce actor and comedian Tony Slattery, aged 65, has passed away today, Tuesday morning, following a heart attack on Sunday evening.”
Slattery was perhaps best known as regular on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the Channel 4 improv show that he appeared on for its first seven seasons. Hosted by Clive Anderson, the show ran for well over 100 episodes and was remade in the U.S. on ABC then The CW.
Slattery also appeared in movies like The Crying Game, Peter’s Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.
Born in 1959, he attended Cambridge University and joined the comedy Footlights group at the same time as contemporaries like Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, eventually becoming president.
He broke into TV as a regular on O.T.T., Saturday Stayback and went on to appear on a number of panel shows before landing the Whose Line Is It gig in the late 1980s. As a dramatic actor he appeared in The Crying Game, To Die For, Peter’s Friends and The Wedding Tackle.
He also earned an Olivier Award nomination for best comedy performance for his role as Gordon in Tim Firth’s Neville’s Island. He had recently been touring a comedy show and hosting a podcast, Tony Slattery’s Rambling Club.
Slattery is survived by Hutchinson, his partner of more than three decades.
This sucks. Tony was one of my favorites on the British series and had many of my favorite moments from that run of the show. When he did Helping Hands with Josie Lawrence, there was a clear chemistry between the two and they gave the feeling that they were performing for each other as much as the audience.
RIP, sir, and thank you.
