British actor Ian Gelder, best known for his role as Kevan Lannister in the hit HBO show “Game of Thrones,” has died at age 74, his husband and fellow actor Ben Daniels announced on Tuesday.
“It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder,” Daniels wrote on Instagram.
Gelder had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and Daniels had stopped work to care for him, but “neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast,” he added.
“He was the kindest, most generous-spirited and loving human being,” Daniels wrote in tribute to his “rock” and partner of 30 years.
Over the course of a decades-long career, Gelder appeared in TV shows like “Torchwood,” “His Dark Materials” and “Doctor Who,” but it was his performance in “Game of Thrones” that catapulted him to a new level of fame.
He played the younger brother and trusted adviser of the fearsome Lord Tywin Lannister in the hugely successful show and appeared in four of its eight seasons.
Gelder was also a veteran stage actor, playing major roles including Antonio in “The Merchant of Venice” and the Duke of Clarence in “Richard III” at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).
His death sparked tributes from across the industry. “Withnail & I” star Richard E Grant told Daniels on Instagram that he was “so sorry for the incalculable loss of your beloved Ian,” while the RSC remembered “one of the most kind and gentle people in the business,” and “Doctor Who” showrunner Russell T. Davies posted of his sadness at the passing of a “delightful and funny” actor.
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