'An extremely talented, subtle actor'

Keeping Up Appearances star Clive Swift has died, aged 82.

He spent six years in the BBC  sitcom playing Hyacinth Bucket's hen-pecked husband Richard from 1990, appearing in 42 episodes.  The show, written by Roy Clarke, was a huge hit and is one of the BBC’s biggest exports.

Swift died at his home today after a short illness, surrounded by his family, his agent said.

Among those paying tribute were Veep writer Simon Blackwell, who tweeted: ‘Very sad to hear of the death of Clive Swift. I had the pleasure of writing for him a few years ago. To be both funny and emotionally real in a three-camera audience sitcom is the rarest of skills. He excelled at it, and it was a treat to watch him.

And fellow actor James Dreyfus said: ‘Loved this extremely talented, subtle actor. RIP the wonderful Clive Swift.’

He spent 10 years at the Royal Shakespeare Company before breaking into television, where his credits  include  Peak Practice, Born and Bred, and The Old Guys, and movies from Vertigo to  A Passage to India

Swift was also a songwriter, and one of the founders of The Actors Centre, a meeting place for members of his profession in London

He was born in Liverpool in 1936, and had three children with his ex-wife, the novelist Margaret Drabble.

In 2017, a gloriously grumpy interview he gave to Doctor Who Magazine in 2007 – when he played Mr Copper in the  Voyage of the Damned special –  went viral. The journalist who conducted the interview, Benjamin Cook, tweeted today: ‘RIP, Clive. You gave great copy.’

Remember, folks: However bad your Monday is, at least you're not interviewing Richard Bucket. pic.twitter.com/ltEjMCgyzV

— The Mostly Made-Up Doctor Who Episode Guide (@MadeUpWho) October 30, 2017

Published: 1 Feb 2019