Jewish stage and TV actor Gary Waldhorn, who is best known for his role as the grumpy squire in The Vicar of Dibley, died aged 78 earlier this month.
Mr Waldhorn played the part of wealthy farmer and parish council chairman David Horton in the series starring Dawn French.
He also enjoyed a career on stage, landing roles in various Royal Shakespeare Company productions including of Much Ado About Nothing and All’s Well that Ends Well.
Born in London in 1943 to a family of Austrian Jewish refugees, he moved to the US as a teenager and later studied at the Yale School of Drama.
He then returned to London, where he went on to appear in various sitcoms, including Brush Strokes and Gallowglass. A statement from his son, Josh Waldhorn, notes his contribution to theatre. He reportedly said: “Classically trained, it was the theatre where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy of entertainment that saw him frequent the boards of Broadway, the West End and our living rooms on the telly!
“He leaves behind his two grandsons, Cooper and Bayley, and his son, Josh. We will all miss him terribly.”
Mr Waldhorn’s Vicar of Dibley co-star Ms French led tributes on Twitter, as she captioned a photo of Mr Waldhorn with a broken heart emoji.
— Dawn French 💙🔴🏳️🌈🇺🇦 (@Dawn_French) January 11, 2022
Actor Samuel West, who appeared alongside Mr Waldhorn in a production of Henry IV staged at the Old Vic in 1991, paid tribute to a “lovely man and a terrific actor”.
In a statement, BBC Comedy said he was “an incredibly talented actor who is fondly remembered by us for his numerous appearances on some of the nations most treasured BBC shows, and of course as Councillor David Horton in The Vicar of Dibley.”
