Veteran Actor Ronald Pickup Passes Away Aged 80

Actor Ronald Pickup, best known for his roles in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movies and The Crown, has died at the age of 80.

Cause Of death

His lawyer said he “passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness surrounded by his wife and family. He will be greatly missed”.

“We’re very sad to hear that Ronald Pickup has died. Ronald was an exceptional actor and had a long history with the NT, starting with 1964’s The Royal Hunt of the Sun,” the National Theatre tweeted.

“He went on to feature in 36 of our productions, and was a regular at The Old Vic under Laurence Olivier.”

Hollywood Career

The actor, who died Wednesday, was the archbishop of Canterbury in 2016 movie The Crown and starred in Neville Chamberlain in 2017 in the film Darkest Hour.

He has worked in theater, film and TV.

Pickup’s career break came in 1964 with a role as a physician in Doctor Who episode The Tyrant Of France.

In 1967 he played Don John in the BBC studio for Franco Zeffirelli’s famous Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

Ronald Pickup also starred in The Mission and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, starring in Norman Cousins in the Marigold Hotel films in 2011 and 2015, which also starred Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith.

His many television appearances included Downton Abbey’s 2015 episode and 2014’s Call the Midwife Christmas special. He has also appeared in shows including Vera, Coronation Street, Doc Martin, Parade’s End, Holby City, Bill and Silent Witness.

Pickup told the PA news agency in 2012 that his favorite role was when he played the writer George Orwell in the TV drama Crystal Spirit: Orwell On Jura, that told his story writing his famous novel in 1984.

Last year he starred in the horror film End Of Term, starring former Doctor Who actor Peter Davison.