W1A actor dies at 35

Alex Beckett played Barney Lumsden

W1A star Alex Beckett has died suddenly at the age of 35.

In the BBC comedy, he played Barney Lumsden, part of the PR team at Perfect Curve alongside Sara Pascoe, Joel Fry and Jessica Hynes.

He also played the same role in its prequel, Twenty Twelve, about the preparations for the London Olympics, was Marcus in Comedy Central sitcom I Live with Models, and has a regular role in Jamie Demetriou’s forthcoming E4 comedy Stath Lets Flats

Hynes tweeted: ‘Alex Beckett was a wonderful, clever, kind, brilliant person - so glad to have known him, so sad he is gone.’

And Demetriou added: 'Alex Beckett is one of the kindest most generous, funny people I've had the privilege of meeting and working with in the TV world. I think that's unanimous among all who met him. So much love to his family. Xxx'

Gavin Denton-Jones, Beckett’s acting agent, said: ‘We’re deeply saddened by the loss of Alex – a wonderful man and a hugely talented actor. Our thoughts are with his family and we kindly ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.’

Beckett had been starring in The Way of the World at the Donmar Warehouse, which has now cancelled the rest of this week’s run out of respect.

Josie Rourke, the theatre's artistic director, and Kate Pakenham, its executive producer, said in a statement: "We are deeply shocked by the tragic loss of our dear friend and brilliant actor Alex Beckett, a much-loved member of The Way of the World company.

‘Everyone at the Donmar and The Way of the World company are completely devastated by this terribly sad news.’

Here is Barney working on the Olympic countdown clock in Twenty Twelve. In a case of life imitating art, the real countdown clock in Trafalgar Square stopped working the day after this episode went out: