19 November 2023 , 20:39
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Joss Ackland has died at the age of 95, his family said in a statement.
The actor, who has appeared in more than 130 film and TV roles, died peacefully at home on Sunday surrounded by relatives, the statement given to the PA news agency said. He appeared in hundreds of films and television productions alongside his "rich and diverse" stage career, and was made a CBE for services to drama in 2001.
The family statement added: "With his distinctive voice and commanding presence, Ackland brought a unique intensity and gravitas to his roles. He will be remembered as one of Britain’s most talented and beloved actors."
The actor was also a "beloved father" and was married to wife Rosemary for 51 years before she died from motor neurone disease in 2002. Ackland had seven children, 34 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren. He's worked with Hollywood stars Alec Baldwin and Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October.
Joss Ackland has died at the age of 95 (FilmMagic)
His family announced the news in a statement (Getty Images)Fans have flocked to X, formally Twitter, to share their tributes to the beloved actor, with one writing: "Sad news about Joss Ackland. His performance in Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Copper Beeches is one of my favourite turns in anything." Russell Grant posted: "The wonderful, kind actor Joss Ackland has passed age 95. One of my very first TV acting contracts was for the BBC’s Canterbury Tales 1969. I had a tiny role in the Wife of Bath’s tale played by Barbara Jefford and Joss was the Host. We filmed in beautiful Dorset at Milton Abbas."
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Another added: "RIP Joss Ackland. Wonderful scene stealer in everything, even Pet Shop Boys videos." While someone else said: "Really sad to hear that Joss Ackland has died. The first thing I ever saw him in was a film called First and Last, about a retiree who embarks on a walk from Land’s End to John O Groats. I thought it was just wonderful. Of course, he also had the best line in Lethal Weapon 2. RIP."
Born in 1928 in London’s Ladbroke Grove area, Ackland grew up in Kilburn, north London, with his brother Paddy and sister Barbara. Ackland and his wife’s home was burnt down in the early 1960s with a pregnant Rosemary breaking her spine. She defied doctors and managed to walk again but Ackland’s family suffered more tragedy when his son Paul died from a heroin overdose, something Ackland said he would never get over.
His glistening career includes an on-stage stint alongside stars like Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench and Tom Courtenay. He also appeared with Alec Guinness in the 1979 television serial Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and films The Sicilian, Lethal Weapon 2 and The Hunt for Red October. He first appeared on film in John Boulting's and Roy Boulting's Oscar-winning thriller Seven Days to Noon in 1950 in an uncredited bit role. Joss made his credited debut in a supporting role in Vernon Sewell's Ghost Ship (1952).
The actor worked for a variety of regional theatre troupes, eventually joining London’s Old Vic and starring alongside theatrical talent including Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith. His stage career away from the Old Vic included the role of Juan Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita and starring opposite Hermione Gingold in the London production of A Little Night Music.
In 2015, Ackland read out a letter for Letters Live at Freemasons’ Hall which was addressed to his, at the time of writing, future wife Rosemary. His TV credits included an appearance in the The Avengers, a 1960s spy show about the suave British agent John Steed.
He also appeared in one of the Hammer Horror films, as a bishop in Rasputin: The Mad Monk in 1966. He continued to act in the noughties and in 2002 he starred as Marshal Zelentsov in thriller film K-19: The Widowmaker, alongside US actor Harrison Ford. His most recent credits include appearances in TV mini series Pinocchio in 2009, film Prisoners Of The Sun in 2013 and movie Fall Of An Empire: The Story Of Katherine Of Alexandria, also called Decline Of An Empire, in 2014.